Cherry's Adventures of The Muppet Christmas Carol
by PerkyGoth14
Summary: Seasons greetings, my loyal watchers! Join Cherry and her friends in a brand new adventure with a new setting in around the 19th century. The adventure embarks to the man called Ebeneezer Scrooge who spreads Christmas misery throughout as he feels miserable himself during the holly, jolly holiday, but the Muppets try to make him change his ways somehow. It goes just how you think.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I know this is pretty early, but I wanted to get this out here as soon as possible. Happy Holidays whenever you decide to read this from PerkyGoth14.**

* * *

Our story begins in a world different from the one we all know from today as it was the middle of winter, near the end of December with the adventure group leading different lives in a very different time period. It was just about Christmas time for everybody and everybody was happy. Well, mostly everybody.

"Oh, it's almost time for Christmas." Mo smiled.

"Monique, dear, would you like to visit your father at work?" A female pig asked Mo. "I'm sure he'll be happy to see you before he comes home to be with your brothers and sisters for Christmas."

"Yes, Mother, I'll go visit," Mo smiled before mumbling to herself. "As long as that Mr. Scrooge isn't near him."

"Should one of us come with you?" Patch asked Mo.

"Aww, hello, doggy." Mo smiled as she pet him.

"Where did that dog come from anyway?" The pig woman, known as Emily Cratchit, asked.

"I don't know, but maybe he could keep me company." Mo smiled hopefully to her adoptive mother.

"Hmm... Well, I suppose..." Mrs. Cratchit replied. "As long as he doesn't make any of us sick, especially your youngest brother, Tiny Tim."

"Oh, I'm quite sure that he won't." Mo smiled.

"Patch?! Patch?!" Atticus's voice called out.

Patch panted happily as he rushed off.

"Oh! Wait!" Mo called out as she went after the dog.

"That girl sometimes..." Mrs. Cratchit murmured to herself as she walked off back into their house.

"Oh, where did he go this time?" Atticus frowned.

"Hi!" Patch's voice said before he hopped up and tackled Atticus into the snow, licking his face.

"There you are!" Atticus smiled and laughed.

"Sorry, I got a little lost." Patch smiled back.

"Ready for work?" Atticus asked.

"Yeah... Though... Your boss..." Patch said nervously. "He scares me..."

"Oh, Mr. Scrooge isn't that scary," Atticus replied. "Sure he's a little rough around the edges, but he's... Erm... Not that bad."

"But he never let's me stay inside." Patch frowned.

"I'll hide you in my bag." Atticus offered.

"He'll find me." Patch pouted.

"I'll make sure he doesn't." Atticus replied.

"A-Alright." Patch frowned.

Atticus decided to hide Patch away.

"Hello, there." Mo smiled at him.

"Gah! Oh... Hello, Monique Cratchit..." Atticus smiled bashfully as he held his bag close.

"Please, Atticus, call me Mo." Mo replied.

"It's great to see you, Mo." Atticus smiled bashfully.

"It's good to see you too," Mo smiled back. "Are you still at work with my father?"

"Um, yes, I am," Atticus replied. "I better get going for my shift."

"Good luck at work and wish my father luck as well as the other workers." Mo smiled.

"I will, Mo," Atticus smiled back. "I look forward to a special Christmas dinner though. It'll make all my hard work worth it once we're all off for tomorrow."

"Hopefully we'll have some money for Tiny Tim by then." Mo added.

"I'm sure you will." Atticus smiled back.

"I'll be by your work later though." Mo smiled.

"Oh, uh, that sounds great," Atticus smiled back, though blushed a bit. "I better go."

"See you around then." Mo smiled as she gave him a friendly hug.

"See you around." Atticus smiled back as he hugged her back.

Mo smiled as she came to her brothers and sisters who were all frogs and pigs as Atticus made his way to work while holding his bag close with Patch secretly inside.

* * *

Everybody else in town, whether animal, human, or monster traveled around as they did whatever they could to get ready for Christmas which was almost there before they would know it, and where Cherry was seen trying to sell apples with some help.

"Buy some apples! Buy some apples! Buy some apples!" Cherry called out to the people.

"Get 'em while they're fresh!" Gonzo called out, though he wasn't Gonzo in this story.

"We got McIntosh!" Rizzo helped out.

"Come and get 'em while they last!" Cherry called out.

"Tuppence a piece while they last." Gonzo called.

"Well, they won't last long with the way Rizzo's eating them!" Cherry said with a glare as she saw the rat munching at the apples.

"I'm creating scarcity," Rizzo said while he ate. "It drives up the prices."

"Rizzo." Cherry groaned.

"Rizzo, you just..." Gonzo said before looking at the readers of the story as he saw them. "Hello! Welcome to Cherry's Adventures of The Muppet Christmas Carol. I am here to tell the story." he then said.

"And I am here for the food." Rizzo added as he ate the apples happily.

"I'm Cherry." Cherry spoke up with a small shrug.

"My name is Charles Dickens." Gonzo soon said.

"And my name is Rizzo the Rat," Rizzo added before he looked at the blue creature beside him. "Hey. Wait a second. You're not Charles Dickens."

"I am too." Gonzo told him.

"Oh, boy, here we go." Cherry said to herself.

"No. A blue. Furry Charles Dickens who hangs out with a rat and some kid?" Rizzo replied to Gonzo.

"Absolutely!" Gonzo nodded.

"Dickens was a 19th-century novelist," Cherry told him. "A genius!"

"Oh. You're too kind." Gonzo smiled from that.

"Why should we believe you?" Rizzo asked him, referring to himself and Cherry.

"Well, because I know the story of 'A Christmas Carol' like the back of my hand." Gonzo clarified.

"Prove it!" Rizzo challenged.

"This should be good." Cherry added.

"All right," Gonzo replied. "Um. There's a little mole on my thumb and, uh, a scar on my wrist from when I fell off my bicycle."

"No. No. No. No," Cherry face-palmed. "Don't tell us your hand. Tell us the story."

"Oh. Oh. Thank you. Yes," Gonzo replied before he began. "The Marleys were dead to begin with."

"Pardon?!" Rizzo panicked before he was about to eat an apple.

"Well... That is how the story begins..." Cherry had to admit.

"Yes, the Marleys were dead to begin with," Gonzo nodded from that. "As dead as a doornail."

"It's a good beginning," Rizzo remarked. "It's creepy and kind of spooky."

"Oh, why thank you, Rizzo." Gonzo said.

"You're welcome, Mr. Dickens." Rizzo replied, though a bit snarkily.

"In life, the Marleys had been business partners with a shrewd moneylender named Ebenezer Scrooge," Gonzo educated the readers. "You will meet him as he comes around that corner."

"Where?" Rizzo asked.

"There." Gonzo said as he pointed to the right.

"When?" Cherry asked.

"Now." Gonzo signaled.

* * *

And just as if on cue, an old man came out in the scene.

"There he is..." Cherry narrowed her eyes. "I bet he kicks puppies in his spare time when he's not counting gold."

"Yes... Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge." Gonzo remarked.

"Say, is it gettin' colder out here?" Rizzo shivered as he shook chills from Scrooge's appearance.

"I know the feeling." Cherry said.

Scrooge walked by the other people on his way to work as he looked firm and cold as always.

"When a cold wind blows it chills you!~" A man sang to his wife as Scrooge passed by. "Chills you to the bone!~"

"But there's nothing in nature that freezes, Your heart like years of being alone~" The woman sang back.

"It paints you with indifference~" A pig sang as Scrooge passed by him and another woman. "Like a lady paints with rouge~"

A bird and a monster came beside the pig.

"And the worst of the worst~" The bird sang.

"The most hated and cursed~" The monster sang.

"Is the one that we call Scrooge!~" The bird sang back.

"Unkind as any~" A bug sang.

"And the wrath of many~" A furry creature sang.

"This is Ebeneezer Scrooge~" The bug sang back.

"Oh, there goes Mr. Humbug, There goes Mr. Grim~," A crowd sang together. "If they gave a prize for being mean, The winner would be him~"

Scrooge passed through a group of farm animals.

"Oh, Scrooge loves his money 'cuz he thinks it gives him power~" The animals sang.

"If he became a flavor you can bet he would be sour~" A group of vegetables added.

"Even the vegetables don't like him!" Thor said to the audience.

Scrooge was seen walking by under some birds.

"There goes Mr. Skinflint, There goes Mr. Greed~" The birds sang.

"The undisputed master of the underhanded deed~" Three cats sang as they opened a window.

"He charges folks a fortune for his dark and drafty houses, Us small folk live in misery~" The crowd sang together.

Scrooge then walked by a mouse family known as the Mousekewitzes.

"It's even worse for mouses~" Papa sang.

"Please, sir, I want some cheese." Tanya pouted as she held out a bowl.

"He must be so lonely he must be so sad, He goes to extremes to convinces us he's bad~" A group of carolers sang. "He's really a victim of fear and of pride, Look close and there must be a sweet man inside~..."

Scrooge passed by them without a care.

"...NAH!" The carolers said to each other as Scrooge seemed to be rotten in their eyes.

"There goes Mr. Outrage, There goes Mr. Sneer~" The crowd sang.

At a puppet tent, a man stuck his head out with puppets on his hands.

"He has no time for friends or fun~" The man sang lowly.

"His anger makes that clear~" The puppet sang before getting his head hit.

"Don't ask him for a favor, 'cuz his nastiness increases~" Two horse sang as they walked by.

"No crust of bread for those in need." The driver pouted.

"No cheeses for us meeses." The mice in the back added.

As Scrooge walked by, Gonzo, Rizzo, and Cherry watched him.

"Scrooge liked the cold," Gonzo told the readers. "He was hard and sharp as a flint, secretive, self-contained, as solitary as an oyster."

"There goes Mr. Heartless, There goes Mr. Cruel, He never gives he only takes he lets his hunger rule~" The crowd sang. "If being mean's a way of life, you practice and rehearse~"

"Then all that work is paying off 'cuz Scrooge is getting worse~" The male pig sang as they watched Scrooge walk off to his office building. They watched as Wily walked to his office building.

"Every day, in every way, Scrooge is getting worse!~" The crowd sang together.

Scrooge turned his head at them, glaring, as they walked after that, chatting and pretended they never saw him. "Humbug." he growled out to himself as he came to go to work.

"Good morning, Mr. Scrooge, sir." Atticus greeted as he held his bag close.

"Morning, Atticus." Scrooge replied as he opened the door to get inside.

Atticus followed in after him as the doors shut behind them.

"Whoo, what an unpleasant fella." Rizzo remarked.

"He was a tightfisted hand at the grindstone-" Gonzo began only to see that the window was dirty, so they had a hard time looking through. "Boy, this really is a dirty city." he then said.

"You're telling me." Rizzo replied.

"We should clean that window." Cherry said as she grabbed the rat and used him to clean the window a bit.

"Thank you for making me a part of this." Rizzo grunted.

"My pleasure." Cherry replied.

"He was a tightfisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge," Gonzo continued to narrate once the window was cleared up. "A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, clutching, covetous old sinner. Though, he had a very small soft spot for his apprentice Atticus Fudo, who he saw as the son he never had sometimes and often tried to mold him into more like him."

"Though it almost never worked." Cherry remarked.

* * *

Scrooge and Atticus were both soon in front of a man who looked scared.

"Bob Crachit." Scrooge uttered out.

"Yes, Mr. Scrooge?" A frog asked his boss.

"Who is this?" Scrooge asked.

"It's Mr. Applegate, sir," The frog replied softly. "He's here to speak to you about his mortgage."

Atticus soon watched as his boss walked past the scared man to put his hat, coat, and cane up. Patch whimpered a bit from inside the bag.

"Shh..." Atticus shushed him.

"Please, Mr. Scrooge, I know you're very angry about this!" Mr. Applegate cried as Scrooge walked by. "And I didn't mean to fall behind in the payment. Lord knows it being Christmas and all, but please don't shout at me, sir! That, and, of course, Little Gwen. Her lungs aren't right. The doctor takes his share, don't he? I mean you can yell and scream all you like, but it won't do any good because I'm the stone, you can't squeeze blood from, and that's the truuuuth!"

Scrooge soon grabbed him and threw him out the door.

"Thank you for not shouting at me!" Mr. Applegate called from outside.

Scrooge soon closed the door, causing all the workers to get back to work. Atticus came to his post to do his own work as he set his bag down by his table.

"Let us deal with the eviction notices for tomorrow, Mr. Crachit." Scrooge said to Bob.

"But, tomorrow's Christmas, sir." Bob said as he got out of his desk, following him.

"Very well," Scrooge said as he handed a pile of files to Bob to carry. "You may gift wrap them."

"Let us help you with that, Mr. Crachit." One of the workers said.

"Oh, my, there are certainly a lot today." Bob groaned from the weight of the pile of files.

Atticus decided to help carry the files so they wouldn't fall all over the place.

"Oh, thank you, Atticus." Bob said.

"Of course, Mr. Cratchit." Atticus replied as he soon walked over to where to put the files for them to be handled.

"Christmas is a busy time for us, Mr. Cratchit," Scrooge said as he got comfortable. "People are so busy making feasts, giving parties, and spending their cash on useless junk, they didn't bother to pay their mortgages! December is the foreclosure season in my opinion, harvest time for the moneylenders."

Atticus shook chills down his spine from that smile. The other workers soon surrounded Bob hopefully.

"Hey, Boss. Ask him."

"Tell him, Mr. Cratchit."

"Come on. Do it now, Boss."

"If you please, Mr. Scrooge, it's gotten colder and the book-keeping staff would like to have an extra shovelful of coal for the fire." Mr. Cratchit said.

The workers agreed as they all shivered.

"Yeah! We can't do our work in this cold!"

"And our pens are turned into ink-cicles."

"And our assets are half-frozen."

"How would the book-keepers like to be suddenly..." Scrooge said calmly before he looked up quickly and yelled out sharply. "...**UNEMPLOYED?!**"

Atticus already knew what the workers' reactions to that would be. They soon acted like it was summer instead of winter.

"Heatwave!"

"This is my island in the sun~"

"Of course." Atticus sighed from that.

"I-I believe you've convinced them once again, Mr. Scrooge." Bob nervously told his boss.

Scrooge chuckled as he knew that would work. Atticus never felt brave enough to stand up to his master, so he always tried to keep anything negative about him to himself because he had to have this apprenticeship to help his poor family.

* * *

**_Outside..._**

"Fred!" Cherry beamed once she saw who was coming.

"At that moment, who should arrive at the door, but Scrooge's nephew, Fred: his only living relative." Gonzo narrated as the young man was coming over.

"Nephew Fred? I don't see him." Rizzo replied.

"Oh, he's coming." Cherry told him while still seeing the nephew of Scrooge coming to the door.

Rizzo suddenly fell into the snow as Gonzo and Cherry watched Fred come to his uncle's workshop.

"Uh, Rizzo? You okay?" Cherry asked once she saw the fallen rat.

"You're very good at that, Mr. Dickens and Miss Cherry." Rizzo muffled.

"A Merry Christmas, Uncle Scrooge," Fred smiled as he came through the door happily. "God save ya!"

"Merry Christmas? Bah Humbug." Scrooge told his nephew before going back to work.

"Quick; it'll be warmer inside!" Rizzo cried out as he came out of the snow before rushing to go into the building before the door would close.

Gonzo and Cherry glanced at each other before they rushed in after the rat just as the door shut.

"Christmas a humbug, Uncle?" Fred said to his uncle as he came by for a visit. "Oh. You don't mean that, surely."

"Actually, it's much colder in here." Cherry told Rizzo.

Rizzo and Gonzo nodded to that as they both shivered.

"Merry Christmas, you say?" Scrooge spat at his nephew. "What right have you to be merry? You're poor enough."

"What right have you to be dismal?" Fred retorted. "You're rich enough."

Cherry snickered from that.

"He's got him there," Rizzo remarked. "The old boy's speechless."

"Oh, yeah." Cherry nodded.

"If I could work my will, every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips would be cooked with his own turkey and buried with a stake of holly through his heart." Scrooge told his relative sharply.

"Well, so much for being speechless." Cherry remarked.

"Oh, Uncle!" Fred gasped from the harshness.

"Nephew, you keep Christmas in your own way and let me keep it in mine." Scrooge advised.

"Christmas is a loving, honest, and charitable time," Fred told his uncle which began to catch the attention of the workers. "And though it's never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that Christmas has done me good and will do me good and I say God bless it."

Bob nodded from that while Atticus cracked a small smile from Fred's kind words. The workers cheered in agreement from the jovial soul.

"And how does one celebrate Christmas on the **UNEMPLOYMENT LINE?!**" Scrooge asked sharply.

This caused the workers to panic and go back to their work.

"Now, in these times, it was customary on Christmas Eve for well-meaning gentlemen to call upon businesses, collecting donations for the poor and homeless." Gonzo educated the readers as he held Rizzo by the boiler to help warm the rat up.

"Mr. Scrooge, I presume?" A man asked as he came inside with his colleague.

"Who are you?" Scrooge demanded.

"We're from the Order of Victoria Charity Foundation," The man informed. "We'd like to speak to you about a donation."

"Mee mee mo." The man's colleague said.

"Does anyone ever understand that guy?" Cherry deadpanned to herself as she also warmed up by the fire.

"Ah. Welcome! This jolly old gentleman here is Mr. Scrooge," Fred smiled to the visitors. "He's very generous to charities."

"My dear nephew!" Scrooge gasped from that.

"At this festive season of the year, Mr. Scrooge, many of us feel that we must take care of our poor and homeless." The man spoke to the grumpy old man as he approached the desk with his colleague.

"Mee mee mo mo mo." The man's colleague said.

"Why? Are there no prisons, no poor houses?" Scrooge asked.

"Oh. Plenty of those, sir." The man stated.

"Mee! Mee!" The man's colleague added.

"Oh! Excellent!" Scrooge smiled at first. "For a moment, I was worried."

"Some of us are endeavoring to raise a fund for the poor and the homeless," The man said to Scrooge. "What might I put you down for?"

"Nothing." Scrooge said as Atticus said it at the same time as he knew how his master could be.

"You wished to remain anonymous?" The man asked Scrooge.

"I wish to be left alone," Scrooge spat out which made the two charity men whimper. "I do not make merry myself at Christmas."

"That certainly is true." Fred said to himself.

"And I cannot afford to make idle people merry." Scrooge continued.

"That is certainly not true." Fred said.

"Don't you have other things to do this afternoon, my dear nephew?" Scrooge glared at Fred slightly.

"Sadly, I do, Uncle," Fred replied before he gave some money for the two men. "So I shall make my donation and leave you to make yours."

"Thank you so very much." The man told Fred.

"Oh, Uncle," Fred said before he left. "Come and have Christmas dinner with me, Cherry, and Clara tomorrow."

"Freeed!" Cherry whined from that.

"Why ever did you get married?" Scrooge rolled his eyes at his nephew.

"Why? Because I fell in love." Fred replied.

Scrooge laughed at that like it was a joke. "That's the only thing in the world sillier than a Merry Christmas!"

"That might be the first time we've heard him laugh." Cherry whispered to Gonzo and Rizzo.

"Hmph, maybe you have..." Atticus replied as he acknowledged them.

"It's no use, Uncle," Fred said as he brought out the wreath. "I shall keep my Christmas humor to the last. A Merry Christmas to you and a Happy New Year."

"Merry Christmas, Fred." Atticus and Bob wished.

"Merry Christmas, Bob. Atticus." Fred replied as he tipped his hat to them before he left.

"Humbug!" Scrooge told his nephew as he left before getting back to his paperwork.

* * *

The door was then slammed shut as Fred left the scene. The two guests stood there as they waited for Scrooge's attention, though it was a bit hard at first to get it.

"Now, then, sir, about the donation?" The first man spoke up.

"Well, now, let's see..." Scrooge said before he stood up as he walked past them. "I know how to treat the poor."

"Mee!" The man's colleague smiled hopefully from that.

"My taxes go to pay for the prisons and the poor houses," Scrooge continued. "The homeless must go there."

"But some would rather die!" The man frowned.

"If they'd rather die, then they'd better do it and decrease the surplus population!" Scrooge replied sharply.

"Oh, dear. Oh, dear." The man mumbled thickly to himself.

"Oh, dear. Oh, dear." The man's colleague added.

"This is the door," Scrooge told them as he opened the door to shoo them out. "You may use it."

"All right, Beaker. Come along," The man told his colleague on the way out as they left as the colleague seemed to make an obscene gesture with one of his fingers. "I think we've taken enough of Mr. Scrooge's time!"

"Goodbye, Dr. Honeydew and Mr. Beaker." Atticus softly told the two even if they wouldn't hear him.

* * *

After the two colleagues left, Scrooge closed the door and where this caused the workers to work like crazy. Scrooge soon took down the wreath and began to try to rip it apart. Atticus pouted from that.

"Good King Wenceslas looked out on the Feast of Stephen, Though the snow lay 'round about deep and crisp and even~," Some singing was heard before Scrooge came to the door and whipped it open as he looked around before seeing a rabbi there was singing the carol. "Brightly shown the moon that night, Though the-"

Scrooge glared down at him which made his singing stop suddenly. "What do you want?" he barked out coldly.

"Uh, p-penny for the song, Guv'nor?" The rabbit asked weakly.

Scrooge simply slammed the door in the rabbit's face.

"That was a bit harsh." Atticus said.

"What did you say?" Scrooge glanced at him.

"...I sneezed? Um... Achoooo..." Atticus said before he panicked as Patch whimpered from the loud noise.

Scrooge had a feeling he knew what he heard from Atticus's bag before reopening the door and throwing the wreath at the rabbit.

"No! Please! Don't!" Atticus cried out.

Scrooge opened the bag to see Patch was there who looked a bit scared. "Atticus... Why have you brought a stray into the office?" he asked sharply.

"H-He's not a stray, sir, he's my pet." Atticus frowned.

"Well, if that's the case... No pets allowed!" Scrooge glared.

"But, sir!" Atticus cried out.

Scrooge soon threw out the rabbit, the wreath, and Patch out into the snow. Atticus frowned as he tried his hardest to be brave and go and pick up Patch.

"Where are you going?" Scrooge asked him.

"I'm sorry." Atticus told both the rabbit and Patch as he picked up the Dalmatian.

"It's alright." Patch told his owner.

"Atticus?" Scrooge asked firmly.

"I'm sorry, sir, but Patch is my pet," Atticus told his boss. "I couldn't let you throw him out."

"Do you wish to keep your job?" Scrooge asked. "That mongrel stays outside like all animals belong."

Patch frowned as he already knew where he would be while his owner would be working.

"...I'm sorry..." Atticus whispered to Patch. "I really need this job... My parents say if we don't have enough money, I'll have to go to the orphan home."

"I understand." Patch whispered back.

Atticus came back to work.

"Now was that so hard?" Scrooge asked his apprentice.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Scrooge, it won't happen again." Atticus promised loyally.

"See that it doesn't." Scrooge told him.

Scrooge and Atticus both soon went back to their work tables.


	2. Chapter 2

The work day proceeded normally until Atticus came out for lunch with the friends he had which were Cherry, Mo, and Thor, and luckily Patch too.

"Oh, Atticus, do tell me that my father will be able to stay home tomorrow." Mo said to the boy.

"Well, uh, maybe..." Atticus bashfully said to her. "I'll have the day off, but... Um... I'm not sure about Mr. Cratchit."

"Well, I'm sure if you can talk to Mr. Scrooge about letting him and the others to have the day off." Patch said.

"I think you oughta since most places will be closed anyway," Thor replied as he peeled a potato he got from work. "Seems pointless to stay open when no one else will."

"I'll give it a shot, guys..." Atticus sighed, but smiled from their help. "Especially for you, Mo."

"You're such a sweetheart." Mo smiled back at him which made them both blush.

"Now kiss!" Cherry's voice whispered.

This caused Atticus and Mo to blush. Cherry chuckled a bit from that.

"I'll ask Mr. Scrooe at closing time..." Atticus decided bravely. "He always listens to me... Well, most of the time anyway..."

"I swear you're the only person in town that he tolerates." Cherry smirked.

"That's true." Thor nodded.

"Hmm..." Atticus paused thoughtfully. "I guess he does."

"I value these lunch breaks we all get to share with each other though." Thor said as he ate his vegetables that he also sold.

"They are nice." Mo smiled.

"I sorta hope Mr. Scrooe doesn't come over tomorrow," Cherry narrowed her eyes. "Last thing I need is mine and my sister's Christmas ruined by that Grinch."

"Here, here." Thor said.

They all continued to have their lunch together before they had to go back to doing what they were doing before their lunch hour.

"Wish me luck, guys." Atticus said.

"Luck!" The others called back as he came back to work.

* * *

The rest of the day of work was the usual until closing time. Atticus took out his pocket watch and climbed down from his seat as it was time to go home.

"Uh, excuse me, Mr. Scrooge, but it appears to be closing time." Bob spoke up to their boss.

"Very well," Scrooge replied calmly. "I'll see you at 8:00 tomorrow morning."

"...Tomorrow's Christmas." Atticus reminded him.

Scrooge looked over before shrugging off the holiday. "8:30 then."

Atticus gulped and mustered up all of his bravery. Bob and the other workers waited to see what would happen.

"S-Sir..." Atticus spoke up. "If you please, sir, half an hour off hardly seems customary for Christmas Day for the others while I get to stay home just because I'm a child."

The other workers quickly agreed with him.

"How much time off _is_ customary for Christmas Day, Atticus?" Scrooge asked his apprentice.

"Well, to tell you the truth... The whole day?" Atticus smiled sheepishly.

The other workers admitted in agreement that.

"The entire day?" Scrooge asked.

The workers quickly disagreed with Atticus, though one of them went along with what he offered.

"It was the kid's idea!" A worker piped up.

"If you please, Mr. Scrooge, Atticus has a point," Bob spoke up. "Why open the office tomorrow? Other businesses will be closed. You'll have no one to do business with. It'll waste a lot of expensive coal for the fire."

Atticus and the workers nodded in agreement.

"It's a poor excuse for picking a man's pocket every December the 25th, but as I seem to be the only person around who knows that," Scrooge replied firmly, but what he said next felt like a surprise. "Take the day off. All of you."

And after hearing that, the workers cheered, happy to know that they could take the day off.

Scrooge soon got up to let himself out before he felt annoyed. "Will you stop that?!"

This made them all stop so they wouldn't make him angry.

"Um, thank you, Mr. Scrooge." Bob spoke up as he got ready to go home to his family.

"Yeah, and a Merry Humbug-...I mean, Merry Christmas, sir!" Atticus added.

Once he was all ready to go, Scrooge soon left.

"Be here all the earlier the next morning." Scrooge told the workers.

The workers replied as they were just happy to have Christmas off work.

* * *

"With their employer gone at last, Bob Cratchit, young Atticus Fudo, and the book-keepers immediately began that most pleasant of activities," Gonzo told the readers as he stood with Rizzo and Cherry. "The celebration of Christmas."

"He's gone." One of the workers told the rest of the workers, Bob, and Atticus.

The others happily cheered from that as they could be happy.

"Gentlemen, let's close up for Christmas." Atticus proposed.

"Here, here!" Bob smiled as he shut his book before he had a song in his heart as they all put their books away. "There's magic in the air this evening, Magic in the air, The world is at her best, you know, When people love and care, The promise of excitement, Is one the night will keep, After all, there's only one more sleep 'til Christmas~"

The workers began to try and carry a stack of books to where they belonged only to fail and where the same was said for pulling down the drapes.

Atticus cupped his mouth from that before he came to help out the other workers. "The world has got a smile today, The world has got a glow, There's no such thing as strangers when a stranger says hello, And everyone is family, We're having so much fun, After all, there's only one more sleep 'til Christmas~" he then sang along with Bob.

The workers began to sweep the floor and were even successful in pulling down the drapes.

"Very good, guys." Atticus smiled to the workers as they were good to go.

"That's it!" One of the workers beamed from their success.

And where it looked like they were all finished now.

"'Tis the season to be jolly and joyous, With a burst of pleasure, we feel it arrive~" Atticus sang. "It's a season when the saints can employ us~"

"To spread the news about peace and to keep love alive~" Bob sang back to him.

* * *

As they left their workplace, Atticus, Bob, and the workers were encountered by the penguins.

"It's the Penguins' Skating Party." Atticus smiled at the sight.

The penguins skated about before one flew by off his skates.

"Oh, that looks like fun." Atticus smiled at the penguins.

Some of the penguins who heard him soon grabbed his hands and began to have him join in the fun. Atticus laughed as he skated with them happily. Bob decided to skate over too. And where the two of them had lots of fun with the penguins. The rats and penguins applauded and cheered them on.

"Thank you," Atticus smiled. "Thank you very much."

"Yes, thank you." Bob added.

The two then accidentally got crashed into with a penguin who skated by.

"We're good!" Atticus told the rats and penguins with a smile.

"Wow!" Gonzo beamed as he came by with Rizzo and Cherry.

"Yeah, you guys should do that too." Cherry smirked.

"What?!" Rizzo yelped.

"Go on, try it, you might like it." Cherry told them.

Gonzo and Rizzo were suddenly skating away together.

"Glide! Glide! 1, 2, 3!" Cherry educated from afar.

And where for Gonzo it was fun, but for Rizzo, it wasn't as fun for him. Cherry winced a bit for Rizzo as he fell off of Gonzo's head and fell into the snow. Rizzo glared up at both of them as he had landed inside of a barrel from that skating mishap.

"Did you have fun?" Cherry sheepishly asked the rat.

"I'm gonna get you for that." Rizzo glared.

"Understandable." Cherry smiled sheepishly.

"Merry Christmas, penguins!" Bob called out as he met with the other workers and Atticus.

The penguins quacked happily, wishing a Merry Christmas back to them.

"There's something in the wind today, That's good for everyone, Yes, faith is in our hearts today, We're shining like the sun~," Bob sang warmly on the way back home for the holiday. "And everyone can feel it, The feeling's running deep, After all, there's only one more sleep 'til Christmas~"

Atticus and the workers soon began to make their way to their own homes, as well as Patch who went with his owner. Patch panted happily.

"Hey, boy," Atticus smiled as he pet Patch. "Let's go see Mom and Dad for dinner, huh?"

"Yeah!" Patch barked happily.

They soon made their way home.

A shooting star rushed through the night sky as it spoke. "Merry Christmas!"

Atticus, Bob, and Patch shrugged from that as they came back home.

* * *

"Mom! Dad! We're home!" Atticus called out as he came to his house which was pretty small.

"Oh, good, the whole family's here." Emily smiled.

"Really?" Atticus beamed.

"Oh, yes," Emily smiled. "And it's great that you have work off tomorrow for the holiday."

"Not just me, but everybody!" Atticus smiled back. "Even Mr. Cratchit."

"How'd you get Mr. Scrooge into letting the other workers have the day off?" Patrick asked.

"I tried to be patient, brave, and collected," Atticus said as he came inside as the door shut behind him as he put his hands by the warm fire to warm himself up from the outside. "He was hesitant at first, but he decided to go through with it, but we have to go back the day right after Christmas."

"Fair enough." Emily said.

"Do we have enough money for a lot of food this year?" Atticus asked.

"It seems like we might have enough for a whole turkey." Patrick smiled.

"Wahoo!" Atticus cheered.

"And we have a surprise guest." Emily smiled.

"Oh, this we gotta see." Atticus chuckled to Patch.

Patch smiled in agreement.

"Who is it?" Atticus asked as he kept warming up.

"Oh, it's someone you haven't seen in years." Patrick smiled.

"Hmm..." Atticus paused thoughtfully.

Someone was soon seen sneaking up behind Atticus.

"Hmm..." Patch hummed.

And just as the person was about to surprise Atticus...

"Jessica!" Atticus beamed without looking back.

"Aww..." Jessica playfully pouted before chuckling as she hugged him. "Merry Christmas, Little Brother."

"Merry Christmas, Big Sister." Atticus smiled as he turned around to hug her back.

"This is going to be the greatest Christmas ever." Patch smiled.

"I missed you so much," Jessica told Atticus. "How are you doing with your job?"

"It's okay," Atticus replied. "A little boring... I like getting lunch with my friends though."

"That's good." Jessica smiled.

"I can't complain too much though," Atticus said. "Though the bright side is that I was able to get Christmas off for everybody."

"Well, it serves the old grouch right." Jessica replied.

"Yeah, I guess, but... I don't think Mr. Scrooge is all bad..." Atticus remarked. "Maybe he's just lonely without the Marley brothers. You remember them, right, Dad?"

"Yeah, those two were jokesters most of the time." Patrick chuckled lightly.

"Were they as bad as Mr. Scrooge?" Patch asked.

"Eh, they were a bit more neutral, at least when I knew them," Patrick replied. "They usually heckled Scrooge though from what I remember. They could be greedy at times, but I don't think they were unbearable."

"Gosh." Atticus said.

"You don't think they caused Mr. Scrooge to be the way he is, do you?" Patch asked.

Patrick sighed softly. "Honestly? Mr. Scrooge's father was hardly Father of the Year..." he said softly to his son and pet dog. "I never told you all this, but... I went to school with Mr. Scrooge when we were boys."

"You did?" Atticus asked.

"I did," Patrick smiled softly. "It's a long story."

The family all looked to each other as even Emily seemed surprised as she didn't know her husband around that time.

"But don't make this about me," Patrick smiled. "Are you doing alright, Jessica? We haven't seen you in years."

"Yes, my new job out of town is a bit demanding so I barely have time for letters," Jessica replied. "It's going all right for factory work, but I'm just blessed it's not like a sweatshop. I have some money to help donate to you all for the holidays though so Atticus can still live here and not in the orphanage."

"Oh, thank goodness." Emily smiled.

Jessica brought out some money to add to her family's money pile.

"Now it's a Holly, Jolly Christmas." Atticus beamed.

"Yes, it is." Jessica smiled.

The family all looked happy together.


	3. Chapter 3

Meanwhile, a horse-drawn carriage rode by with Gonzo, Rizzo, and Cherry in the back.

"Scrooge lived in chambers which had once belonged to his old business partners: Jacob and Robert Marley." Gonzo narrated.

"Have some bread?" Rizzo offered.

"Not while I'm working." Gonzo declined.

"I'll take some." Cherry accepted.

"Help yourself." Rizzo smiled.

Cherry decided to have some bread while Gonzo decided not to.

"The building was a dismal heap of brick on a dark street," Gonzo then narrated. "Now, once again. I must ask you to remember that the Marleys were dead and decaying in their graves."

"Yuck!" Rizzo groaned as that was making him lose his appetite.

"That one thing you must remember or nothing that follows will seem wondrous." Gonzo then whispered.

"Why are you whispering?" Rizzo whispered back.

"It's for dramatic emphasis." Gonzo explained quietly.

"Ohh." Rizzo replied.

Scrooge took out his keys as he got ready to go inside to get some sleep.

"And cue the scare." Cherry whispered.

"Good call." Gonzo whispered back to that.

Cherry smirked a bit with her success.

Scrooge came to the door, though the knocker seemed to change shape into a human-like face. "Jacob Marley?" he asked in surprise as he recognized that face instantly.

"Scroooooooooooge!" The knocker called out.

Gonzo and Rizzo even jumped back with fright from that.

"Fraidy cats." Cherry teased.

"Hey, you okay?" Rizzo asked Gonzo who fell flat on the ground and seemed to be unconscious.

Scrooge soon checked his knocker to see if he was just seeing things. The knocker appeared to be back to normal.

"Humbug..." Scrooge shrugged to himself as he soon unlocked the door and came inside to get ready for bed.

"Oh, Gonzo, speak to me," Rizzo begged worriedly. "I mean, Mr. Dickens. Charley. Are you hurt?"

Gonzo suddenly sat up to get back on track with his narration. "To say that Scrooge was not startled would be untrue. Still, the moment had passed. and the world was as it should be."

"Well, I guess he's not hurt if he can still concentrate on the story." Cherry said to Rizzo.

"That's true." Rizzo nodded.

"Hm?" Gonzo glanced at them.

"Nuthin'." Cherry and Rizzo replied.

"Oh." Gonzo said before he looked over to watch Scrooge at home with them.

And where Scrooge soon entered his home. The old man soon lit himself a candle to give himself some light as he made his way to bed for the evening.

"Come on, guys, we'll follow him in." Gonzo said to Rizzo and Cherry.

"No way," Cherry rolled his eyes. "That grouchy old kook only ever did one thing great for my life: his nephew married my sister."

"I forgot my jelly beans over here." Rizzo said as he dug into the snow.

"Will you two just get over here?" Gonzo complained.

"Well, all right..." Both Cherry and Rizzo rolled their eyes as they followed Gonzo over.

"By the way, what are you?" Cherry asked Gonzo. "Are you like a monster? Some kinda bird? What?"

"Oh, that's a funny story actually, but we have another story to take care of right now," Gonzo said to her. "You could say though that I'm out of this world."

"Oh, brother." Cherry rolled her eyes.

But just as they were about to follow inside, Scrooge closed the door.

Gonzo bent his nose a bit as Cherry and Rizzo helped him out a bit from the door. "Scrooge made his way up the staircase, caring not a button for the darkness." he then narrated.

* * *

Scrooge came inside his home with a lantern to make himself through the darkness of winter as it looked impossible to see without some sort of light.

"Darkness was cheap. and Scrooge liked it, but the incident at the door had made Scrooge wary," Gonzo continued from outside. "Before he shut himself in for the night, he searched his rooms."

"Okay, that does it!" Rizzo glared.

* * *

"Pardon?" Gonzo asked the rat.

"How do you know what Scrooge is doin'?" Rizzo glared. "We're down here and he's up there."

"I keep telling you, storytellers are omniscient," Gonzo replied. "I know everything."

"Okay! Hoity-toity, Mr. God-like Smarty-Pants." Rizzo rolled his eyes.

"Oh, yeah? What's next?" Cherry deadpanned. "To conduct a proper search, Scrooge was forced to light the lamps?"

"Exactly." Gonzo said before looking up to one of the windows.

As if on cue, the lights inside soon came on as they saw through the window from where they stood.

"...How did _you _do that?" Rizzo asked Cherry.

"I have no idea..." Cherry said with wide eyes.

Scrooge was seen putting his lit candle down since he could now see where he was going. He took a look around before he saw "someone" and grabbed them before tossing them out with an angry cry out and beat "them" with his cane before he saw that it was not a person and was just his plain old night robe. "It's my best dressing gown..." he said to himself once he saw what it was. "No harm done."

* * *

Eventually, Scrooge got dressed and ready for bed as he sat by the fireplace to get settled in for the night. He soon took out a plate of his dinner as he got ready to eat it. And as he ate a part of his dinner, one of the bells close by rang, catching his attention. Scrooge looked over curiously before he shrugged it off as nothing. The bell soon rang again which got his attention again as it seemed to last longer than the last ring and the fireplace's fire soon went out from that ringing. And where this didn't go unnoticed by Scrooge until he saw a ghostly glow. He looked very wide-eyed and felt even more shocked as two ghosts appeared with chains who looked quite familiar. The two ghosts laughed as they appeared beside the living man.

"Look! It's Ebenezer Scrooge!" The first ghost pointed out.

"Looking older and more wicked than ever." The second ghost added.

"I knew he wouldn't disappoint us." The first ghost remarked before they both shared a laugh from that.

"Who are you?" Scrooge asked the two ghosts.

"In life, we were your partners," The second ghost reminded. "Jacob..."

"And Robert Marley!" The first ghost added.

"It looks like you, but I don't believe it!" Scrooge replied firmly.

"Why do you doubt your senses?" Jacob asked him.

"Because a little thing can affect them," Scrooge replied assertively as he stood up from his chair. "A slight disorder of the stomach can make them cheat. You may be a bit of undigested beef, a blob of mustard, a crumb of cheese."

The Marley brothers looked to each other from that.

"Yes," Scrooge continued. "There's more of gravy than of grave about you!"

After hearing that, it caused the two Marley brothers to laugh.

"'More of gravy than of grave'?" Robert repeated with mockery.

"What a terrible pun!" Jacob added. "Where do you get those jokes?"

"Leave comedy to the bears, Ebenezer." Robert suggested.

"Please, Jacob, Robert, don't criticize me," Scrooge complained. "You always criticize me!"

"We were always heckling you." Robert told him.

"It's good to be heckling again." Jacob told Robert.

"It's good to be doing _anything_ again." Robert replied.

"Why do you come to me?" Scrooge demanded to know.

"We're Marley and Marley, Avarice and greed~" The Marley brothers began to sing together.

"We took advantage of the poor~," Jacob sang. "Just ignored the needy~"

"We specialized in causing pain, Spreading fear and doubt~" The two sang together again.

"And if you could not pay the rent, We simply threw you out~," Robert sang before stating, "There was the year we evicted the entire orphanage!"

"Oh, I remember the little tykes all standing in the snowbanks." Jacob nodded.

"With their little frostbitten teddy bears!" Robert added.

Both of the brothers laughed before they shuddered a bit while Scrooge couldn't believe his eyes. "We're Marley and Marley, Our hearts were painted black~" they then sang together.

"We should have known our evil deeds would put us both in shackles~" Jacob sang.

"Captive, bound, we're double-ironed exhausted by the weight~" The Marley brothers sang.

"As freedom comes from giving love~" Jacob began.

"So, prison comes with hate~" Robert added.

"We're Marley and Marley, Whoooooo~" The two brothers sang before moaning like stereotypical ghosts. "We're Marley and Marley, Whoooooo~"

"But my friends, you were not unfeeling to your fellow men." Scrooge told the Marley brothers.

"True, there was something about mankind we loved." Robert replied.

"I think it was their money!" Jacob remarked.

Both of the Marley brothers laughed as they tied up Scrooge with their chains as he looked a bit startled. "Doomed, Scrooge! You're doomed for all time!~" they then sang to him.

"Your future is a horror story written by your crime~" Robert told Scrooge.

"Your chains are forged by what you say and do~" The Marley Brothers warned as more chains flew out at Scrooge along with some metal boxes that joined them.

"So, have your fun; when life is done, a nightmare waits for you!" The ghost boxes added.

"What are these terrible chains?" Scrooge asked as he took off the chains.

"Oh, the chains!" Robert called out. "We forged these chains in life by our acts of greed."

"You wear such a chain yourself." Jacob added.

"Humbug!" Scrooge replied. "Speak comfort to me, friends!"

"Comfort?" Robert asked before screams as the chains began to tighten a bit.

Scrooge looked a bit concerned from what was happening before him.

"You will be haunted by three spirits!" Robert continued.

"Haunted?" Scrooge replied. "I've already had enough of that."

"Without these visits, you cannot hope to avoid the path we tread!" Jacob advised.

"Expect the first ghost tonight when the bell tolls 1:00!" Robert added.

"Can't I meet them all at once and get it over with?" Scrooge asked.

"When the bell tolls 1:00!" Jacob told him.

The two brothers began to float away then after they did their job to warn him. "We're Marley and Marley, Whoooo! We're Marley and Marley, Whooooo!, We're Marley and Marley, Whoooo! CHANGE!~"

The fire in the fireplace soon reignited. Scrooge looked around his surroundings rather curiously.

* * *

"And with that, the spirits of Scrooge's partners vanished into the darkness, leaving him once again... Alone in his room." Gonzo narrated.

"Whoa. That's scary stuff," Rizzo shivered from the horror tales. "Hey, should we be worried about the kids in the audience?"

"Nah, Rizzo, it's all about the culture." Cherry told the rat.

"She's right." Gonzo said.

"Oh. Uh. Jelly bean?" Rizzo then offered as he took out a bag from his pocket. "I had 'em in my pocket all along."

Gonzo and Cherry simply looked at him blankly.

"What?" Rizzo asked from that.

"You know, Cherry, you got the makings of a real storyteller." Gonzo admired.

"Uh, thanks." Cherry replied.

Scrooge was soon seen going into his bedroom. "Humbug..." The man muttered to himself as he crawled into bed and closed his bed curtains to get some sleep.

* * *

Meanwhile, Gonzo, Rizzo, and Cherry were by a gate that was among Scrooge's rich estate.

"Come on." Gonzo told Rizzo as he and Cherry waited for the rat to get down from the gate.

"But I really hate this!" Rizzo complained from the gate.

"I hated it too, but we wanted to know what was happening." Cherry reminded him.

"She's right," Gonzo added. "Now, Scrooge's bedchamber is on this side of the house, now jump."

"There's only two things in this life I hate," Rizzo gulped a bit. "Heights and jumping from them."

"Too late, now come on, we'll catch ya." Gonzo told him.

"God save my little broken body." Rizzo told himself before he leaped off of the gate.

Gonzo and Cherry stood still, though they missed him in their hands, but Rizzo landed on Cherry's face.

"Now was that so hard?" Cherry muffled before removing him off of her face and set him down on the ground.

"Thanks for the catch." Rizzo said.

"Sure thing." Cherry replied.

"Oh. Wait a second!" Rizzo said. "I forgot my jelly beans."

Cherry and Gonzo watched as the rat slid through the bars of the gate to get his jelly beans before coming back over.

"Um... Oh. Good," Rizzo said before he saw their stares. "...What?"

"You could fit through those bars the whole time?!" Cherry asked.

"Yeah." Rizzo replied.

"You are such an idiot." Gonzo said as he walked off to a nearby tree.

"What? What? Hey! What? What?" Rizzo shrugged while Cherry just shook her head.

They walked off together as Gonzo carried a rope over his shoulder.

* * *

Meanwhile, Scrooge seemed to be fast asleep in his bed so far, and while he slept, Gonzo, Rizzo, and Cherry began to climb up the tree.

"Ugh... I hate climbing..." Cherry groaned, but she put up with it anyway.

"Scrooge slipped into the empty silence of a dreamless sleep." Gonzo narrated as they climbed up.

"You know, a guy could break his tail falling out of this tree." Rizzo spoke up.

"You wanna see what's going on, don't you?" Cherry asked him.

"Yes." Rizzo said with a bit of a groan.

"Then settle down," Cherry told him. "Uh, Gonzo, or, erm, Mr. Dickens? Is this it?"

"Yeah, this is it," Gonzo replied. "Old Scrooge's window."

"Great." Cherry said.

Scrooge was fast asleep, but the clock soon struck 1:00 which summoned a bell to bring in the first ghost of the evening after the visit from the Marley brothers. This seemed to wake him up before he looked around with one eye open as the candlelight died out.

"Expect the first ghost when the bell tolls 1:00!" Gonzo called out from outside as he sat in the tree by the window with Rizzo and Cherry.

* * *

A bright light came out from Scrooge's bedside which summoned the ghost which caught Scrooge's attention. He grabbed his fireplace poker before he opened his bed curtains to see what caused the bright light which felt impossible to sleep over. The light faded briefly before showing what looked like the ghost of a little girl.

"Are you the spirit whose coming was foretold to me?" Scrooge asked, though a bit in disbelief.

"I am." The ghost replied calmly.

"But you're just a child." Scrooge said as he put the fireplace poker on the floor.

"I can remember nearly 9,000 years," The ghost told him softly. "I am the Ghost of Christmas Past."

"What business has brought you here?" Scrooge asked.

"Your welfare." The ghost replied.

"A night's unbroken rest might aid my welfare." Scrooge said.

"Your salvation then," The ghost replied. "Take heed. Come."

Scrooge soon began to get out of his bed before he saw the window open. Cherry, Gonzo, and Rizzo sat in the tree together from the window flying open.

"I beg you, Spirit," Scrooge spoke, a bit scaredly. "I-I am mortal and liable to fall."

"A touch of my hand and you shall fly." The ghost told him calmly.

Scrooge hesitated for a few moments until he reached out to take her baby-like hand which would help him fly with her to take a look into the past.

"So, Gonzo, I mean, Mr. Dickens; how are we going to follow them into the past?" Cherry asked.

"Don't worry, I got a trick right up my sleeve." Gonzo smirked as he took out the rope and began to lasso it.

Scrooge and the ghost flew out the window together, ahead of them.

"What are we doin'?" Rizzo asked.

"Nuthin'." Gonzo said.

"What?" Rizzo asked.

"Well, just hold on." Gonzo replied.

"What?!" Rizzo yelped.

Cherry held on with them as they were all suddenly taken for a ride with Scrooge and the ghost to be taken back to the past. "And here we go!" she told them.

Rizzo screamed out as they went for a ride together. Gonzo laughed happily on the other hand.

"Oh, watch out, Rizzo!" Cherry warned as they passed by a chimney.

"Why?" Rizzo asked. His question was answered as he hit the chimney a bit.

"That's why." Cherry said.

"Thank you for warning me." Rizzo grumbled a bit from that.

"You're welcome." Cherry smirked playfully.

"Hello, London!" Gonzo called out as they flew off together.

"Goodbye, lunch!" Rizzo groaned as he looked like he was going to throw up.

"You can hold it in!" Cherry told him.

"Ugh... You two are the worst..." Rizzo grumbled.

* * *

"Uh... Spirit?" Scrooge spoke up as he looked around with wide wonder.

"Yes?" The Ghost of Christmas Past replied softly.

"...Nothing..." Scrooge said, as he thought he heard some screaming and yelling, but decided to shrug it off.

* * *

"Whoa... Look, Rizzo." Gonzo said as he and Cherry saw a bright light up ahead.

"I don't wanna look." Rizzo told him.

"Are we dead?" Cherry asked weakly as they saw the bright light.

"Spirit, what is that light?" Scrooge asked. "It cannot be dawn."

"It is the past." The ghost told him calmly.

Rizzo began to scream as he freaked out as they got closer to the light of the past.


	4. Chapter 4

They soon passed through the bright light as they came to a snow-covered forest before coming into a small village. Rizzo looked shook up as Gonzo looked exhilarated, but Cherry looked and felt a bit indifferent.

"And so they arrived in Ebenezer Scrooge's childhood." Gonzo narrated.

"That was the worst trip of my life!" Rizzo groaned.

"Well, it's over now." Cherry told him.

"Yeah, safe at last." Rizzo said.

Unfortunately for him, there seemed to be a cat right behind him.

"No..." Rizzo shook his head with a groan before he ran off as the cat chased him. "No! No! Oh. No. Stop. Nice kitty. Nice kitty. Ow! Ouch! I'm from New Jersey!"

The cat didn't seem to listen as it kept on chasing him.

"Ouch..." Cherry cringed slightly. "So, uh, this is Scrooge's childhood home or something, huh, Gonzo?"

"Yes, and it was the afternoon of Christmas Eve and Scrooge was conscious of a thousand odors, each one connected with a thousand thoughts, and hopes and joys and cares long, long forgotten." Gonzo replied.

Scrooge is soon seen softly landing on the snow. The ghost floated beside him as he took a look from all of the nostalgia.

"It's my old school. I was a boy here," Scrooge said as he took a look of amazement. "That... That's Henry! And Edmund and Patrick. My best friends. Hello. Boys. Hello?" He then tried to call out to his old schoolmates, but he could not.

"These are but shadows of your past, Ebenezer," The ghost told the man. "They can neither see nor hear you. Come and let us go inside."

Scrooge and the spirit began to make their way inside.

"Rizzo. Stop playing with the cat." Gonzo said.

Of course, poor Rizzo wasn't playing as he ran for his life away from the cat.

"Uh, follow me." Cherry said as they came to go inside the schoolhouse, away from the cat.

* * *

And once they were inside, Cherry closed the door, causing the cat to hit the door. Rizzo looked relieved as Cherry hid a small smirk from the cat's misfortune. There were head busts of great narrators such as Aristotle, Dante, Shakespeare, and Gonzo and Rizzo included themselves into the display to blend in.

"And what a flood of memories came back to him as Scrooge beheld his old classroom." Gonzo narrated as Rizzo chewed on a leftover apple.

"I know it so well, spirit; the desks, the smell of the chalk, I chose my profession in this room." Scrooge told the Ghost of Christmas Past.

"And is he too familiar?" The ghost asked as she gestured to a young boy who sat alone in the classroom at his desk.

"Scrooge beheld a small boy, a boy he knew," Gonzo narrated as the old man looked a bit shocked at the sight of the boy. "Oh. Very well indeed."

"Good heavens," Scrooge whispered in awestruck. "It's me."

* * *

Two young boys soon came running in.

"Hurry, Ebenezer," The first boy warned as he rushed by. "The last coach is leaving."

"Come on," The second boy told him. "He never goes home for Christmas."

"Never goes home for Christmas?" Cherry asked as that sounded a little sad.

"Who cares about stupid old Christmas?" Young Scrooge huffed.

Young Patrick frowned as this would be another year that Young Scrooge would spend Christmas at school.

"I was often alone," Scrooge said, emotionally from the memories as he watched his young self. "More time for reading and study. The Christmas holiday was a chance to get some extra work done. A time for solitude."

"At least come home with me and my family?" Young Patrick smiled softly. "Please?"

"I can't," Young Scrooge told him. "Father wants me to stay here, so I will."

"I'm getting the feeling that there's going to a little tension coming." Rizzo whispered to Gonzo.

"Between those two?" Gonzo asked.

"Yeah." Rizzo replied.

"I'm afraid you might be right." Gonzo told him.

"Come on, Ebenezer, you don't deserve to be alone on a family holiday," Young Patrick pouted. "Your father should realize that."

"I remember exactly how I replied after Patrick said that." Scrooge said.

"Patrick, you don't understand..." Young Scrooge told him. "Just go home with your family who loves you... Especially your mother."

"...I'm sure your mother would've loved you too..." Young Patrick said. "Now, come home with me and you can pretend that my family is-"

"**_WHAT_, PATRICK?!**" Young Scrooge snapped. "That _you have_ a loving family and _I_ DON'T?! GET AWAY FROM ME! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME, SO JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Young Patrick looked stung and a little sad, but he decided to go then as he had tears in his eyes from his friend's sadness and anger.

"Whoa." Cherry said.

"Rats don't understand these things." Rizzo sighed from the shelf with Gonzo.

"You were never a lonely child?" Gonzo asked.

"I had 1,274 brothers and sisters." Rizzo replied.

"Wow. I guess rats _don't_ understand these things." Cherry said.

"Nope." Rizzo told her.

"Let us see another Christmas in this place." The ghost suggested to Scrooge.

"They were all very much the same," Scrooge said softly, though a bit emotional. "Nothing ever changed."

"_You_ changed." The ghost reminded him.

Scrooge looked soft as he continued to watch his child self in the classroom.

* * *

Time passed as Young Scrooge kept up with his studies, though despite the tough times, Young Patrick kept faith in his friend and even bought his friend some presents for the holiday season. Scrooge began to look a little more emotional every time he saw Young Patrick bought his young self presents each Christmas.

"The years performed their terrible dance and in a moment, Scrooge had seen his entire childhood pass," Gonzo narrated as Scrooge watched his childhood pass by. "He saw his old schoolroom age and decay."

As that was said, Shakespeare's nose fell off and the shelf that Gonzo and Rizzo stood on slanted by the side which made the busts slide down to crush them.

"I told you guys not to sit there." Cherry rolled her eyes.

"Oh, you did not!" Rizzo groaned from that.

"So, Master Scrooge, Graduation Day, and yet..." An eagle walked by to see Young Scrooge.

"That's my old headmaster," Scrooge realized. "This man taught me my greatest lesson."

"Oh, this, I gotta hear." Cherry rolled her eyes slightly before seeing that Young Patrick wasn't in the room this time.

"Stand up," The schoolmaster told Young Scrooge. "Build your life as this school is built."

"Push!" Gonzo grunted in the background with Rizzo.

"My ear! My ear! My ear!" Rizzo yelped out.

"Shh!" Cherry shushed them as she tried to watch this.

"Ah. Yes! Work hard. Work long and be constructive," The schoolmaster told the boy in front of him. "Oh, Ebenezer, life is a golden opportunity. Today you go forth into the real world. You must keep your nose to the grindstone. Work hard, lad, and one day your life will be as solid as this very building!"

Gonzo, Rizzo, and the bust statues soon came crashing down from the shelf. The schoolmaster looked to that before he shrugged it off like it was nothing. "I've been meaning to fix that shelf."

"Yes, Headmaster." Young Scrooge replied.

"Well, young man, you have been apprenticed to a fine company in London," The schoolmaster told his student. "Today, you become a man of business."

"I'm looking forward to it, Headmaster." Young Scrooge said.

"You will love business," The schoolmaster advised. "It is the American way."

"Sam?" Gonzo spoke up as he came behind the eagle.

"Hmm?" The schoolmaster replied as he was whispered to before he corrected his mistake. "Oh. It is the British way!"

"Good." Gonzo nodded from that.

"Yes, Headmaster." Young Scrooge replied.

"Mm." The schoolmaster nodded before looking to see Gonzo wasn't there anymore.

A man soon came by to see the schoolmaster and Young Scrooge.

"Oh, here is your coachman, Ebenezer." The schoolmaster remarked.

"Come, Scrooge," The ghost told the old man beside her. "There is much to see."

"Remember, don't tip the driver." The schoolmaster told Young Scrooge.

Scrooge and the ghost soon left the scene to go into another memory from the past.

* * *

"A moment later, Scrooge found himself standing on a city street, looking at a building he had not seen in years." Gonzo narrated as he, Rizzo, and Cherry were now dressed in very, very old-fashioned clothes.

"I feel so stupid." Cherry complained from her large dress with a powdered wig on her head.

"Feel lucky you don't have to light the lamp." Gonzo told her.

"Bah." Cherry shrugged.

"Tell me, Ebenezer Scrooge, do you know this place?" The ghost rhetorically asked.

"Know it? My first job was here," Scrooge almost smiled. "This is Fozziwig's old rubber chicken factory."

"Once again, it was Christmas Eve night was falling and the lamplighters were plying their trade." Gonzo narrated.

"Oh! Watch out, Rizzo!" Cherry warned, but she was too late as Gonzo wasn't looking as he accidentally set fire to the rat's tail.

"H-Hey! Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey!" Rizzo yelped out. "Light the lamp. Not the rat! Light the lamp. Not the rat! What are you doing?

"Oops! My apologies." Gonzo said sheepishly.

"Put me out! Put me out! Put me out!" Rizzo cried out. "Put me out! Put me out! Put me out!"

Cherry and Gonzo soon began to look for somewhere to put out the fire on Rizzo's tail until they both looked at a barrel full of cold water close by.

"Okay, Rizzo, hold on!" Cherry told the screaming rat before she pushed him off the lamp to fall and land into the barrel.

Rizzo yelped out before he splashed through. "Th-Th-Thank you." he said with a shiver as he came back out briefly.

"What can I say except 'you're welcome'?" Cherry smirked a bit.

"You enjoyed that, didn't you?" Gonzo asked her.

"Maybe." Cherry smirked.

"I worry about you." Gonzo remarked from that reply.

"There he is," Scrooge said to the ghost as he saw a bear coming out the door. "Old Fozziwig himself."

"Look, my lads, dusk has fallen, the lamplighters are at work; it is Christmas Eve for certain." Fozziwig told others.

"What an employer he was," Scrooge chuckled from the memories. "As hard and as ruthless as a rose petal."

"It's time for the party to begin!" Fozziwig then announced.

"It's the Fozziwig Christmas party." Scrooge told the ghost so they could eagerly take a look.

"Rizzo, grab hold of the stick." Cherry said while Gonzo had a stick in the water.

Rizzo tried to do just that. Cherry looked out for Scrooge as he came to watch the party.

* * *

"Merry Christmas." Everybody told each other inside of the party.

Cherry soon began to enter the party.

"Excuse me, everyone," Fozziwig spoke up to the large crowd. "C-Can we have some quiet, please?"

Gonzo soon carried Rizzo inside, who was now a frozen ratsicle, before he took a look to see a chicken that attracted him somehow. "Whoa!" he said before he then took Rizzo over a table and smashed him onto it to shatter the ice he was trapped inside of.

"I suppose I should be grateful for that." Rizzo huffed a bit as he was free to go.

"You're welcome." Gonzo smiled innocently.

Rizzo soon got off the table and walked off.

"Please, can I have your attention for a moment?" Fozziwig tried to call out.

"Look, it's the Marley brothers," Scrooge pointed out as he saw younger versions of the Marley brothers sitting in a balcony together as they shared a laugh. "My old partners as they were as lads."

"Can I have your attention please?!" Fozziwig tried to call out again.

Animal walked by as he saw that before he yelled out for Fozziwig. "**QUIET!**"

This made everybody quiet down and settle a bit from his outburst.

"Thank you..." Animal mumbled before he walked off from that.

"That's better. Ahem... Welcome to Fozziwig and Mom's annual Christmas party," Fozziwig soon began. "At this time in the proceedings, it is a tradition for me to make a little speech."

"And tradition for us to take a little nap." Young Jacob told Fozziwig before he and Young Robert laughed.

Everybody else looked a bit at the two hecklers.

"Pay no attention to them. My speech. Here is my Christmas speech," Fozziwig looked sheepish as he took out a paper to read from. "_'Thank you all and Merry Christmas'_."

"_That_ was the speech?" Jacob asked. "It was dumb!"

"It was obvious!" Robert added as they went back and forth briefly.

"It was pointless!"

"It was short."

The two brothers looked to each other before they spoke in unison. "I loved it!" The Marley Brothers soon laughed after saying that.

"I'm bored with speeches," An older female bear spoke up as she came beside Fozziwig. "Let's dance, Son."

"Hey, here's Mrs. Fozziwig to start the party," Fozziwig beamed as he saw her. "Way to go, Ma!"

"Hit it, boys!" Mrs. Fozziwig told the band behind them.

Animal was soon seen at the drums, although he was trying his best not to go crazy with the drums.

* * *

"Hello!~" Rizzo smirked at the female rats before he saw a chef with rubber chickens. "Hey, look. There's a buffet over here. I'm kinda hungry."

"In this ferdy hurdy bursky~" The Swedish Chef sang to "Deck the Halls" before removing two cloches beside him to show two bunches of grapes.

"Fa la la la la, la la la la~" The grapes sang from that.

"Ah, forget it," Rizzo scoffed. "Mother always taught me never eat singing food."

"Solid advice." Cherry shrugged.

Another Young Scrooge was soon shown with papers in his hand. Everybody else among the party mingled with each other as it was time to celebrate the merry holiday of Christmas.

"Excuse me, Mr. Fozziwig? Excuse me," Young Scrooge approached his boss as he took out a paper. "Yes, I've been going over the accounts."

Scrooge looked very bewildered to see his old self as he watched quietly.

"Do you know how much the firm is spending for this party?" Young Scrooge asked the bear.

"Master Scrooge, this is Christmas! It's a time for generosity!" Fozziwig told him merrily. "Stop working. Enjoy yourself. Go meet some people. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Oh, hello."

Soon enough, Animal had enough and began to play the drums like there was no tomorrow.

"There ya go." Cherry remarked from that sight.

The guests felt surprised, but they began to enjoy the party a lot better with the music. Jacob found himself dancing to the music.

"You dancing fool!" Robert laughed at his brother.

Everyone continued to enjoy the music and they kept dancing.

"Belle, you know, I love these annual Christmas parties," Fozziwig smiled as he held a young lady in his arm as they walked together. "I love 'em so much, I think we'll do it twice a year!"

"Excuse me." Young Scrooge said as he accidentally thumped into them.

"Oh, Master Scrooge!" Fozziwig gasped.

"Excuse me." Young Scrooge repeated himself as he took a look at the young lady like she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

"Belle, I'd like to introduce you to Ebenezer Scrooge: the finest young financial mind in the city," Fozziwig introduced. "Ebenezer, this is Belle: a friend of the Fozziwig family."

"I'm pleased to meet you." Belle said as she held her hand out to Young Scrooge.

Young Scrooge took her hand to kiss the back of it as Scrooge watched somberly.

"Well, I'm glad you two finally met..." Fozziwig said as he stood between the two young adults.

"Do you remember this meeting?" The ghost asked Scrooge.

"Remember? Yes, I remember." Scrooge said like it was obvious.

"There was, of course, another Christmas Eve with this young woman some years later." The ghost then said.

"Oh, please, do not show me that Christmas." Scrooge begged the ghost.

However, the ghost would have to ignore that plea as they were soon shown another memory from Scrooge's past.

* * *

Scrooge looked around as they, along with Cherry, Gonzo, and Rizzo came to another part of the past as Young Scrooge seemed to be with Belle this time as they were both a bit older now.

"I wonder whatever happened to this woman?" Cherry said to herself. "Surely she could've changed Scrooge's heart to gold than a hollow black empty hole."

"Another year before our wedding, Ebenezer." Belle said.

"How could we marry now?" Young Scrooge asked Belle as he sat beside her. "There's not even enough for a decent home. The investments haven't grown as they should."

"So you said last year." Belle said softly.

"Business continues to be poor." Young Scrooge gave a bashful smile.

Cherry simply looked unimpressed with that answer. Scrooge wasn't looking forward to this memory as he knew what his younger self was about to do to Belle.

"You're a partner in your own firm now," Belle told Scrooge as she began to stand up. "That is no excuse."

"And barely clearing expenses." Young Scrooge groaned slightly.

"You said so yourself that the partnership was the goal." Belle pointed out.

"This is for you," Young Scrooge said a bit sadly. "I love you, Belle."

"...You did _once_..." Belle said softly as this was goodbye.

"Oh, so, that's what happened..." Cherry said.

Rizzo and Gonzo looked a bit soft as this was a bit heartbreaking for Young Scrooge. Rizzo even began to sniffle and cry as they watched Belle walk away.

"Oh, Rizzo..." Gonzo said softly before he hugged the rat calmly.

And where Scrooge looked the most emotional after seeing that memory.

"Well... That sucks..." Cherry said as her voice cracked, though she didn't exactly cry.

"Spirit, show me no more," Scrooge nearly cried. "Why do you delight in torturing me?"

"I told you. These were the shadows of the things that have been," The ghost told him calmly. "That they are what they are, do not blame me."

"Leave me." Scrooge told the ghost.

* * *

Everything began to fade away as Scrooge sat down on the edge of the bridge before he was suddenly back home in his bedroom.

"Scrooge was left alone and exhausted in his bedchamber," Gonzo narrated from outside the window with Rizzo and Cherry. "And thus he remained until the nearby clock began to strike the hour."

And where soon, the bell of the clock tower began to ring.

"What was that?" Rizzo asked.

"2:00." Gonzo told him.

"Oh, is it too early for breakfast?" Rizzo asked.

"Yes." Cherry replied.

"Oh, good," Rizzo said. "Supper time."


	5. Chapter 5

Scrooge soon took a look outside his bed to see if a ghost would appear.

"Scrooge knew that the second of the ghosts was due to appear," Gonzo narrated as the old man looked around the pitch darkness. "Yet now, as the clock finished striking..."

* * *

"Nothing." Scrooge firmly pouted from that.

However, the darkness quickly faded away as a bright light suddenly appeared, and where Scrooge soon heard someone laughing in a room across from his bedroom. The old man looked curious as he decided to see who or what that was.

"Come in and know me better, man!" A giant man chuckled warmly as he came by the door-frame before dashing off.

Scrooge looked curious as he stepped out of his bedroom to see what was going on in the other room as it looked very happy and festive, no to mention with lots of food, and where he soon saw the giant man that had greeted him a few seconds earlier.

"Come in and know me better, man!" The giant man chuckled. "Did I already say that?"

"You did. Yeah." Scrooge replied.

"I am the Ghost of Christmas Present," The giant man told him. "This is the night before the dawn before the day of Christmas! Did I tell you that I am the Ghost of Christmas Present?"

"You did. Yeah." Scrooge repeated himself as he tried to be patient.

"Come in and know me better, man!" The ghost smiled warmly.

"You're a little absent-minded, spirit." Scrooge told the ghost.

"Well, I'm glad somebody said it." Cherry muttered to herself.

"No! I'm a _large_ absent-minded spirit!" The ghost laughed a bit from that.

Scrooge forced himself to laugh along from that.

"My mind is filled with the here and now," The ghost smiled at him. "And the now is Christmas!"

"I don't believe I've ever met anybody like you before, sir," Scrooge replied. "Except for that large boy who helps sell vegetables who hangs around my apprentice, Atticus Fudo."

"Really? Over 1800 of my brothers have come before me." The ghost told him.

"1800?" Scrooge asked with a small laugh as he tried to joke too. "Imagine the grocery bills."

The ghost laughed a bit from that before he got slightly smaller, but still taller than Scrooge as they talked. "Have you ever noticed that everything seems wonderful at Christmas?" he then asked.

"In all honesty, Spirit, no," Scrooge said softly. "Perhaps I've never understood about Christmas."

"Before this day is done, you will understand." The ghost told him before chuckling as he went over to a nearby window.

"Gun it!" Cherry cried out.

"Oh, no! Oh, no!" Rizzo yelped.

The window swooped open as Scrooge and the ghost came to fly out the window to check out the present time and where Gonzo, Rizzo, and Cherry all soon landed in the snow.

"Ah," The ghost smiled as he peeked out the window. "We shall go out into the world."

Gonzo, Rizzo, and Cherry soon climbed out of the snow, though Gonzo laughed a bit while Cherry and Rizzo looked uncomfortable.

"We suppose you enjoyed that!" Rizzo glared sharply.

"Of course." Gonzo smiled innocently.

Both Cherry and Rizzo groaned and shuddered from that. They soon looked over to where the Ghost of Christmas present and Scrooge would appear. The two ended up in the middle of town together.

* * *

"May I welcome you to Christmas morning!" The ghost smiled merrily as he brought Scrooge to town before it brightened up to a cheerful-looking day with kids playing in the snow with some people singing carols together.

A choir was singing together as they explored.

"It's in the singing of a street corner choir, It's going home and getting warm by the fire~," The ghost sang to Scrooge as they passed by. "It's true wherever you find love, It feels like Christmas~"

"A cup of kindness that you share with another, A sweet reunion with a friend or a brother~" A group sang. "In all places you find love, it feels like Christmas~"

"It is the season of the heart~," The ghost continued to sing as he and Scrooge walked through town. "A special time of caring, The ways of love made clear~"

A large group soon appeared as they sang along with the giant ghost.

"And it is the season of the spirit, The message, if we hear it, Is make it last all year~" They all sang together as they shared a hug with each other.

A snowman soon yelped as his head fell off. The children around him looked to each other curiously from that.

"It's in the giving of a gift to another~," Tanya sang as she sat with her family in a mouse hole. "A pair of mittens that were made by your mother~"

Scrooge took a look inside of the mouse hole with a small, amused smile as the ghost was there with them, as a tiny giant ghost.

"It's all the ways that we show love, That feel like Christmas~" The Mousekewitz family sang together.

"A part of childhood we'll always remember, It is the summer of the soul in December~" A couple of horses named Spirit and Rain sang together from beside the jailhouse.

"Yes, when you do your best for love, it feels like Christmas~" A prisoner and constable sang.

"It is the season of the heart, A special time of caring, The ways of love made clear~" The ghost sang merrily among the crowd.

Scrooge simply stood there, emotionless as the crowd began to sing and dance with the ghost.

"It is the season of the spirit, The message, if we hear it, Is make it last all year~" Everybody sang happily together.

Spirit and Rain began to dance together side-by-side.

"It's in the singing of a street corner choir, It's going home and getting warm by the fire, It's true wherever you find love, It feels like Christmas~" The ghost sang to Scrooge as they began to walk off together.

Scrooge seemed to be actually smiling as they shared a quick dance together.

"It's true wherever you find love, It feels like Christmas~," The ghost sang happily as they looked all around town. "It feels like Christmas, It feels like Christmas, It feels like Christmas~" he then finished his song with a jolly laugh.

* * *

It soon began to start snowing.

"Spirit, I had no idea," Scrooge said as he sounded happy for once. "I wish to see friends. Kin. Show me family."

The ghost nodded to that as he soon took Scrooge's hand to take him to a certain house.

"It's... It's Fred," Scrooge realized who lived here as he saw them. "My dear nephew Fred and his wife Clara, having Christmas with friends."

"Let's see how much we've missed." Cherry whispered to Gonzo and Rizzo.

The two nodded to that, but the rat got easily distracted.

"Hey, look! Fruit!" Rizzo called out.

Cherry narrowed her eyes from that.

"Well, there now!" Fred smiled all around. "We've had the plum pudding and sung the carols. What now, my lovelies?"

"A game, Fred." Clara suggested.

"Yeah, we must have a game at Christmas." A green creature said.

"Do people play games at Christmas?" Scrooge asked curiously.

The ghost nodded from that.

"I love games!" Rizzo beamed as he ate some fruit.

"Rizzo, that fruit is made out of wax." Cherry told the rat.

"Oh, yeah... I wondered about the texture." Rizzo replied from that.

"I was wondering when he would notice the taste." Cherry whispered to herself.

"Let's play 'Yes & No'." A pig suggested.

Everybody else happily agreed as that sounded like a great idea.

"Ah! That's a great game!" Fred smiled happily. "I'll be it."

"Yes. Let Fred be it," Clara agreed. "He always thinks of good things."

"I do have a good one, Clara," Fred told his wife before facing everyone. "Guess."

"Is it vegetable?" Someone guessed.

"No." Fred replied.

"Mineral?"

"No."

"Animal, then?"

"What else?" Fred chuckled from that.

"What else, indeed!" A guest replied.

"In the city?" Clara asked.

"Usually." Fred smiled.

"Does it pull a hansom cab?" A man asked.

"Certainly not!" Fred replied.

"How about a dog?" A dog asked.

"No." Fred replied.

"A cat?" Scrooge tried to guess, but he wouldn't be heard.

"A cat?" Clara repeated.

"_I_ said it first." Scrooge huffed.

Cherry had a small chuckle from that.

"No." Fred told Clara.

"Wait, is this an _unwanted_ creature?" Cherry smirked as her present self asked.

"Hey, it's you!" Rizzo said to Cherry.

"So it is." Cherry chuckled a bit.

"Often." Fred replied as he kept his answer secret until they would get it.

"Is it a mouse?" The green creature guessed.

"No." Fred said.

"A rat?" A woman asked.

"You called?" Rizzo smirked.

"A cockroach." A guest asked.

"No." Fred replied.

"A leech."

"Oh, dear. It's too wonderful."

"Wait! Wait! I know!" Present Cherry piped up. "An unwanted creature, but not a rat, a leech or cockroach."

"Okay, I think we should go now." Cherry smiled nervously.

"Then what?" The guests asked.

"What?" Scrooge asked.

"It's Ebenezer Scrooge." Present Cherry said.

"Shooooooot..." Cherry said with a gulp.

"Yes!" Fred beamed at Present Cherry as she was right.

"Wonderful!" Clara laughed as they all laughed from that.

* * *

Scrooge soon began to look emotional as that was how people saw him and he couldn't blame them with how he treated others. Cherry seemed to be outside now, digging with a shovel in the snow.

"What are you doing?" Rizzo asked her.

"Digging my own grave because I doubt Mr. Scrooge is going to let me see future Christmases after this year." Cherry said out of fear.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that." Gonzo said as he gestured her to look to see Scrooge's reaction.

"Hm?" Cherry asked before she looked over.

Scrooge felt so disappointed as the others laughed at his expense, but he felt that he deserved that.

"Come," The ghost told Scrooge. "There's much to see."

"No more," Scrooge sulked a bit. "I wish to see no more."

* * *

The next stop was in front of the Fudo household.

"Do you like your school, Atticus?" Emily asked.

"Yes, I do, Mom," Atticus smiled. "I like that I get a break from it too like from work, so I feel relaxed for the first time since I had to take up this job when we lost a lot of money from taxes."

"I'm just surprised that Mr. Scrooge agreed to hire you." Jessica said as she listed the many things they knew about Scrooge now as they set up dinner.

"Yeah, I wonder why myself..." Atticus replied. "Oh, well, I guess that's just a blessing from Heaven above. He might not change though, but he seems to care about me."

"Hm... Yeah... Lucky you..." Jessica said. "But I don't think this season will change anything."

"I believe it will," Emily smiled at her children. "There is more to this time of year, Than sleigh bells and holly, Mistletoe and snow, Those things come and go~," she then began to sing a bit. "Much deeper than snow, Stronger than the strongest love we'll know, We'll ever know~"

Scrooge looked curious as he watched his apprentice with his family as the kids looked happy from their mother's singing.

"As long as there's Christmas I truly believe, That hope is the greatest of the gifts we'll receive~," Emily smiled to both of them. "As long as there's Christmas we'll all be just fine, A star shines above us, Lighting your way and mine~"

"Just as long as there's Christmas, There'll be Christmas pud, tons of turkey~" Patch sang with a smile.

"And cranberry sauce, And mince pies if we're good~" Jessica smiled back at him.

"Loads of logs on the fire~" Patrick sang as he brought some firewood for their fireplace.

"Lots of gifts on the tree, All wrapped up in red ribbons!~" Jessica and Emily beamed.

"Wonder if there's one for me~" Atticus playfully smirked.

Scrooge watched his apprentice look so happy with his family as they all really got into the holiday spirit together.

"As long as there's Christmas I truly believe, That hope is the greatest of the gifts we'll receive, As long as our guiding star shines above, As long as there's Christmas, We'll all be just fine, There'll always be Christmas~" The Fudo family sang together happily.

"So there always will be a time, When the world is filled with peace and warmth~" Emily smiled happily at her family.

"As Scrooge watched the Fudo family celebrate Christmas, he smiled as he had never seen his apprentice so happy and was happy that his old friend was doing well," Gonzo said. "Even under their circumstances."

"I'm starting to warm up to Mr. Scrooge... Now I feel bad for what I said about him..." Cherry remarked from that.

"Come, there is one more stop." The Ghost of Christmas Present told Scrooge.

Scrooge looked curious as they came to see another stop while in the present time.


	6. Chapter 6

"Here." The Ghost of Christmas Present smiled at the man.

"Why have we come to this odd corner of the town?" Scrooge asked.

"It's Christmas here too, you know," The ghost told him. "That's Bob Cratchit's house."

Scrooge looked curious from that.

* * *

"Perhaps it was the spirit's own generous nature and his sympathy for all poor men that led them straight to the home of Scrooge's faithful clerk." Gonzo narrated as he climbed up a ladder by a house as a chimney sweep as he came to the roof with Rizzo and Cherry.

"Why are we climbing up the ladder?" Cherry asked Gonzo.

"Well, we gotta blend in somehow." Gonzo told her as he came to the chimney.

"Goose!" Rizzo gushed as he smelled something very delicious. "They're cookin' goose down there!"

"Forget it, Rizzo; that's the Cratchit family's goose." Cherry told him.

Gonzo then cleaned the chimney.

"Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey!" Rizzo complained from that. "Don't be sweeping the chimney now. You're blockin' the smell!"

* * *

"This is Bob Cratchit's house?" Scrooge asked the ghost.

"How do you know that?" The Ghost of Christmas Present asked.

"You just told me." Scrooge replied.

"Well, I'm usually trustworthy." The Ghost of Christmas Present chuckled from that as he came to the window to have a look with Scrooge of the house.

"Who's that?" Scrooge asked as he saw Mrs. Cratchit singing to herself as she got some of the food ready.

"Mrs. Cratchit, of course!" The ghost smiled about the female pig in the house.

* * *

Mo was soon shown before she smiled to herself. "I may have been adopted, but I love my family exactly as we all are." she then said as she came to help her mother. She and Mrs. Cratchit soon looked over to one of her adoptive brothers.

"Peter, do not stop turning that spit," Mrs. Cratchit told her son. "That is the whole secret of a properly roasted goose."

"It smells so good, Mother." Peter spoke up as he did as his mother asked him to.

"It does, doesn't it?" Mrs. Cratchit grinned to that as she looked in a mirror.

"Oh, that smells wonderful." Rizzo smiled as he began to lean down on one of the chimneys before going down it.

"Stop. Don't. Come back." Cherry slightly deadpanned.

"Oh, good grief." Gonzo groaned slightly.

"Hey, I'm stuck!" Rizzo cried out. "Get me outta here!"

"I knew you weren't suited for literature." Gonzo remarked.

"You better be ready because you'll be landing on the goose." Cherry told Rizzo.

"Say what now?" Rizzo asked nervously before he screamed out.

"I told you!" Cherry called out to him.

Rizzo screamed as he soon landed on the goose as Cherry had predicted. "At least I landed on something soft," he said with relief before he hopped on his feet from where he landed. "And hot! Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot!"

Mrs. Cratchit was seen eating one of the foods.

"Mother, Mother, Mother! I thought you said we couldn't eat the chestnuts until Father and Tiny Tim get home." One of the younger girls scolded her mother as she walked by.

"I-I-I wasn't eating them," Mrs. Crachit smiled bashfully. "I was... I was merely checking them to see if they were not burnt. It's a chef's thing, Dear. And do not shout, Betina."

"Mother, that's Belinda," Mo told her adoptive mother before showing the girl with her. "This is Betina."

"Of course she is, Mo," Mrs. Cratchet smiled sheepishly before looking a little confused between Belinda and Betina before looking at Belinda. "Betina?"

"_Belinda_!" The girl corrected firmly.

"Whatever..." Mrs. Cratchit sighed with defeat from her identical daughters.

The two girls huffed a bit as they flaunted their hair like a couple of divas. Mo simply sighed as she should have known that would happen. Scrooge and the giant-like ghost continued to watch from out the window. They then turned around as they saw a certain frog walking over with his young son as they both sang together.

"'Tis the season to be jolly and joyous, Fa la la, With a burst of pleasure we feel it arrive, Fa la la~," Bob and Tiny Tim sang together. "It's a season when the saints can employ us, Fa la la, To spread the news about peace, And to keep love alive~" They soon arrived at their home.

"Come on, Son." Bob smiled.

"Yeah." Tiny Tim smiled back.

"Let's go see if Christmas dinner is ready yet." Bob said as they came to the door.

"Oh, yeah." Tiny Tim smiled.

* * *

As they came to the door, Gonzo and Cherry snuck over to go into the Cratchit household.

"Merry Christmas, everyone." Bob smiled as he came through the door with Tiny Tim.

"Daddy!" Betina and Belinda beamed before they rushed over with Peter and Mo to welcome him home.

And where soon, Bob was bombarded with hugs from his twin daughters, older son, and adoptive daughter.

"Father." Mo beamed warmly.

"Hello there, Mo, dear," Bob smiled to her. "Merry Christmas, everybody."

"Merry Christmas!" The kids happily replied.

"Children, children, children!" Mrs. Cratchit called to her kids. "Now... Now it's time to set the table. Go ahead."

Mo happily went off with her adoptive siblings to set the table for dinner.

"Wait for me!" Tiny Tim piped up as he came to follow after them.

"Merry Christmas, Emily." Bob smiled at his wife.

"Merry Christmas, Cratchy~" Mrs. Cratchit beamed as she hugged him happily.

"Emmy!" Bob gasped as they shared a hug.

Mo smiled warmly as she loved to see her adoptive parents expressing their love for each other like this.

* * *

Rizzo blew on his feet as he came off of the family goose that was being cooked as he landed before he looked at Cherry and Gonzo to say, "I fell down the chimney and landed on a flaming hot goose."

"I told you that you would." Cherry said.

"You have all the fun." Gonzo complained to Rizzo like he was jealous.

Cherry and Rizzo gave him a look from that.

"What?" Gonzo asked defensively.

* * *

"Oh, Peter! Mo! The Christmas dinner!" Tiny Tim beamed. "The goose! The goose!" he then suddenly began to cough a bit sickly.

"Oh, dear, Tim; you've gotten too excited." Mo said, concerned for her youngest adoptive brother's health.

"You go sit in your chair a moment," Mrs. Crachit suggested. "Monique, dear, will you help him out?"

"Of course I will, Mother," Mo replied as she came to help Tiny Tim to his seat. "Okay. Rest. Rest a moment."

"Thank you, Mo." Tiny Tim smiled softly at his big adoptive sister.

"How was he at church?" Mrs. Cratchit asked her husband.

"As good as gold and better," Bob replied. "He told me that he hoped the people saw him in church because it might be pleasant for them to remember upon Christmas Day who made lame beggars walk and blind men see."

"A remarkable child." Scrooge said.

"And with that, the Cratchits came to what was surely the happiest single moment in all the livelong year." Gonzo narrated as the family sat together at the table.

"Such a meager feast." Scrooge remarked with how poor his employee was with a large family.

"But very much appreciated." The Ghost of Christmas Present replied.

"I pay Bob such a small amount." Scrooge frowned at himself.

"Mr. Scrooge!" Bob suddenly called out.

"Bob!" Scrooge gasped as he came to go inside, but phased through the door like he was a ghost himself. "Bob Cratchit!"

"It only seems right that I should lift a glass to my employer," Bob told his family as he lifted his glass to propose a toast. "I give you Mr. Scrooge: the founder of the feast."

"The founder of the feast indeed." Mrs. Cratchit glared.

"Hmph!" The twin girls pouted from that.

"If I had him here, I would give him a piece of my mind to feast upon, and I bet he would choke on it."

"Hmph!" The twin girls pouted again.

"My dear! The... The children!" Bob cried out as that was a bit inappropriate to talk about right now. "Christmas Day!"

"Mother, please." Mo added softly.

Mrs. Cratchit knew that in the spirit of Christmas, she would have to say something nice about Scrooge. "Well, I suppose that on the blessed day of Christmas one must drink to the health of, uh, Mr. Scrooge," she then said as she tried to stay strong. "Even though he is odious, stingy, wicked and unfeeling, and badly dressed, and-"

"Mother!" Mo whispered loudly.

"To the founder of the feast: Mr. Scrooge!" Tiny Tim then suddenly announced.

Mo smiled as she was happy that Tiny Tim did that.

"To Mr. Scrooge," Mrs. Cratchit forced herself to say. "He'll be very merry and happy this day, I have no doubt."

"No doubt." The twins added together.

"Cheers!" Bob proclaimed as they all shared a drink from that.

"God bless us everyone." Tiny Tim smiled.

Mo smiled brightly and proudly from that. "Here, here."

Scrooge looked touched as he watched Tiny Tim and the Ghost of Christmas Present began to walk away.

"Life is full of sweet surprises, Every day's a gift, The sun comes up and I can feel it~," Tiny Tim began to sing to his family. "Lift my spirit, Fills me up with laughter, Fills me up with song, I look into the eyes of love, And know that I belong~"

Mrs. Cratchit gently set the candle on the table.

"Bless us all who gather here~" Tiny Tim sang.

"The loving family I hold dear~" Mrs. Cratchit and Tiny Tim sang together.

"No place on Earth compares with home~," Bob sang with his youngest son. "And every path will bring me back from where I roam~"

"Bless us all that as we live, We always comfort and forgive~" The Cratchit family sang together.

"We have so much that we can share~" Bob and Tiny Tim sang together.

"With those in need we see around us, everywhere~" Tiny Tim sang.

Scrooge watched them softly as they all bonded together as a family. He looked like though he was holding back some tears as Tiny Tim looked very sick and didn't have much time to live which was sadly the case.

"Let us always~" Tiny Tim sang.

"Love each other~" Mo happily joined her adoptive family in the song.

"Lead us to the light, Let us hear~" Tiny Tim sang.

"Voice of reason~" The family sang together.

"Singing in the night~" Tiny Tim sang.

"Let us run from anger~" Bob sang happily to his wife.

"And catch us when we fall~" Mrs. Cratchit happily sang back to him.

"And teach us in our dreams and please, yes, please~" Tiny Tim sang.

"Bless us one and all~" The family sang together.

"Bless us all~," Tiny Tim sang, though his voice began to grow weak. "With playful years, With noisy games and joyful tears~"

"We reach for you and we stand tall~" The Cratchit family sang.

"And in our prayers and dreams, we ask you bless us all~" Bob sang.

"We reach for you and we stand tall, And in our prayers and dreams, We ask you bless us all~" Tiny Tim sang before he coughed more and more which sounded very bad compared to the other times.

"Oh, Timmy..." Mo cooed as she hugged her littlest adoptive brother. "I wish I could help you."

"Let's all take our seats now, let's have dinner, Belinda, Betina, Peter, Mo." Mrs. Cratchit started.

"Yes, Mother." Mo agreed.

* * *

"Spirit, tell me if Tiny Tim will live." Scrooge requested hopefully.

"That is the future. My realm is the present," The Ghost of Christmas Present told him as he appeared to be older and gray now as he came towards the mortal man. "However. Ah, I see a vacant seat by the chimney-corner and a crutch without an owner. If these shadows remain unaltered, I believe the child will die."

Scrooge looked a bit guilty as he looked at Tiny Tim as he sat with his family.

"What then? If he's going to die, he had better do it and decrease the surplus population!" The ghost then told Scrooge.

"I'd hate to find out what happens to Atticus and me and the others." Cherry said to herself.

"Oh, spirit." Scrooge sighed softly.

"As the Cratchit family vanished into the darkness, Scrooge kept his eyes upon Tiny Tim until the last." Gonzo narrated as the scene faded to black as it was time to go.

"Come," The Ghost of Christmas Present told Scrooge as he took a hold of the old man. "My time grows short."

Scrooge soon began to follow the spirit.

* * *

They walked further into the cold darkness as the ghost looked more and more old from traveling through the present time.

"Spirit, do you grow old?" Scrooge asked curiously.

"I do." The ghost replied wearily.

"Are spirits' lives so short?" Scrooge asked then.

"My time upon this globe is very brief," The ghost said as he came to sit down on a nearby bench. "I believe it will end upon the stroke of 12:00."

"Ugh! 1." Rizzo grunted as he pulled down on the rope connected to the bell tower, causing the bell to ring.

Cherry clamped her hands over her ears from the rather loud ringing.

"Now? But, Spirit, I have learned so much from you." Scrooge begged as the bell rang in the background while Rizzo counted the tolls.

"Nothing Scrooge could do or say could stop the relentless march of those terrible bells." Cherry narrated as she sat with Gonzo.

"Say, you're pretty good." Gonzo said.

"Thanks." Cherry replied as Rizzo counted "five".

"Oh, spirit, do not leave me." Scrooge said to the Ghost of Christmas Present.

"I think I must," The ghost replied as he seemed to sparkle up a bit as he began to fade away. "In fact, you have meant so much to me. You have changed me. And now I leave you with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come."

"You mean the future?" Scrooge asked worriedly. "Must I?"

"Go forth and know him better, man!" The ghost replied with a jolly laugh before he ceased to exist.

Scrooge frowned as the ghost was gone before he stood up as he waited for the next ghost to appear.


	7. Chapter 7

Some thick fog soon appeared which startled Scrooge as he ran back from the sight of it.

"Erm... Mr. Dickens? Rizzo?" Cherry asked as she seemed to be alone with Scrooge and the third and final ghost. "Where'd you go?"

"Am I in the presence of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come?" Scrooge asked the ghost.

The ghost didn't speak, but they just nodded.

"Spirit, I fear you more than any specter I have yet met." Scrooge said to the ghost.

"Oh, this is too scary," Rizzo shivered fearfully as he peeked out of the abandoned church with Gonzo. "I don't think I want to see any more."

"Oh, when you're right, you're right," Gonzo agreed with the rat. "You're on your own, folks. We'll meet you at the finale."

"Seriously?" Cherry asked them.

"Hey, Cherry, you like dark and gloomy, maybe you could tell us about it?" Gonzo suggested.

"You're just gonna leave me here?!" Cherry cried out.

"Glad ya understand." Rizzo said as he shut the doors behind them.

"Great." Cherry grumbled.

* * *

"I am prepared to follow and to learn with a thankful heart." Scrooge spoke to the ghost.

The ghost did not reply to him.

"Will you not speak to me?" Scrooge asked.

The ghost simply responded by taking a hold of Scrooge to lead him out as he pointed to the other way.

"Oh, yes, yes," Scrooge replied. "The night is waning fast. Lead on, Spirit."

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come soon lead the way. A huge swirl in the sky soon came out as the two walked through that way.

"This is pretty creepy..." Cherry had to admit.

* * *

They soon came into town as it was a bit dark and snowy with Scrooge and the ghost coming through.

"Whoa." Cherry said.

A foursome of men with umbrellas gathered around together as they looked almost like they just came back from a gloomy ceremony.

"No, I don't know much about it either way," One man spoke up to the others. "I only know he's dead."

"Yeah." The other three agreed as Scrooge came closer to find out who they were talking about.

"When?" One of the men asked.

"Last night, I believe." Another replied.

"Hmm... Wonder what he died of?" One man remarked.

"I thought he'd never go." The other said.

"Well, I don't know or care why he's gone," The other man said to his friends. "I'd just like to know what he's done with his money."

The others jeered from that. "That's right!" "Wouldn't we all?" "Well, he didn't give it to me."

"Well, it's mostly likely going to be a cheap funeral; I don't know a single soul that would go to it," One man said. "Well, except his apprentice."

"Why do I have a bad feeling after he mentioned Atticus?" Cherry asked herself.

"I wouldn't mind goin'." One man spoke up.

The others looked at him curiously.

"If lunch is provided!" The man then said.

All of the men shared a laugh from that before they decided to leave.

"Of course." Cherry grumbled.

"I know some of those gentlemen, Spirit," Scrooge said to the ghost. "Of what poor wretch do they speak?"

The ghost simply pointed for him to go in a certain direction.

* * *

Scrooge looked from that before he came to the alleys to see a spider who was with some folks who came to see him.

"So, back from the house of sadness, I see." The spider said to the group with him.

"Sad that he didn't die years ago, the old skinflint." One spoke up from that.

"Yeah, yeah." Another one spoke.

"Well, let me see what do you got for Old Joe, eh?" The spider asked his cronies. "What do you got for me to remember him by?

"Well, I got these collar buttons from his dresser," One spoke up as he took out some sort of gift. "Mother-of-Pearl."

The spider looked slightly unimpressed by the collar buttons.

"I got his bed curtains." A crony offered, showing said curtains.

"Hmm... Very fine damask," The spider said as he took a look. "Very cheap damask, but worth a few coins."

"Now, I've got his blankets." A female offered.

"Oh, his blankets?" The spider replied as he took them. "Why, Mrs. Dilber, they're still warm. I don't pay extra for the warmth, you know."

"You should, it's the only warmth he ever owned." Mrs. Dilber said before laughing with them.

The others added onto that with agreement.

"I understand, Spirit; the case of this unhappy man might be my own. M-My life tends that way now," Scrooge said as he came to the ghost, emotionally. "Let me see some tenderness connected with this world or I'll be haunted by that terrible conversation forever."

The ghost decided to take him over to see Atticus with his friends at first.

* * *

"I know you didn't like him much, but at least show a little bit of sympathy," Atticus said softly. "He was my boss after all."

"We know, Atticus, and since you were his apprentice, you now have access to his company." Patch said.

"I'm not sure how to feel about that myself sometimes." Atticus replied softly.

"Well, at least we won't have to always see him in his usual attitude towards Christmas." Thor said.

"Yeah, I suppose so..." Atticus replied. "I guess at least he's with Fan now."

"Uh... Who's that...?" Thor asked.

Scrooge looked a bit surprised that Atticus knew who Fan was, though it was mostly likely that Patrick told him about her.

"My dad told me that Mr. Scrooge used to have a younger sister named Fan." Atticus explained.

"Ohh." Thor said.

"Yeah..." Atticus shrugged. "I guess I'll ask about school before January?"

"We'll ask Unc-... I mean, Schoolmaster..." Thor replied.

"Yeah... I mean, it's not like I'll have to give up school and drop out because I have access to the company now, right?" Atticus smiled sheepishly.

"We'll see." Patch added.

* * *

**_And so..._**

"I _have_ to drop out of school?" Atticus asked with wide eyes.

"You're in charge of a company now, kid," Drell told him. "You don't have time for school. Besides, it'd be better if you were in charge rather than that old crab."

Atticus frowned as that would mean he wouldn't be able to see his friends again.

"I gotta say, you were a great student," Drell smiled nonchalantly. "Have a good time at work."

"I never got to tell Mo how I felt..." Atticus pouted. "I should've just come to comfort her after what happened at the house."

Scrooge looked curious as he was soon brought to the Cratchit household which felt gray and gloomy today.

"I can already tell that there isn't any joy or happiness in there." Cherry said.

"I guess I better say goodbye..." Atticus bowed his head. "I'll probably miss her most of all in school. I've been in love with that girl ever since she was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Cratchit back last Autumn."

"Whatever works for you, pal." Thor said with his arm around Atticus.

Atticus nodded from that.

* * *

"It's Bob Cratchit's house," Scrooge recognized his surroundings. "Oh, yes, Spirit. A place of joy and laughter. Thank you for bringing me here."

However, as he got close to the house, it was anything but a place of joy and laughter.

"It's so quiet," Scrooge said softly. "Why is it so quiet, Spirit?"

The ghost simply pointed to the house so then Scrooge would find out why. Scrooge looked from that and decided to take a look for himself through the door's window.

* * *

Mrs. Crachit was heard crying as she tried to get some housework done.

"Oh, Mother, you're crying again." Belinda frowned as she, Betina, and Mo came over to her.

"Oh, um, no, it's just the lamplight that hurts my eyes." Mrs Cratchit frowned with a sniffle as there was a grave loss in the family.

"Not Tiny Tim!" Scrooge cried out sadly for the family.

"Th-There, there now," Mrs. Cratchit told her daughters. "My eyes get weak in the... In the dim light. I would not want to show weak eyes to your father when he gets home for anything in the world. He... He should be back now."

"I think he's walked a little slower these past two evenings." Peter frowned.

"Hello, my dears." Bob said as he came home at last.

"Daddy." Belinda and Betina said as they came to see their father.

Mo wiped her eyes before she came to join her family.

"Hello, girls," Bob said as he hugged his children. "Hello, Peter."

"Children, please, go set the table." Mrs. Cratchit told Belinda, Betina, Peter, and Mo gently.

"Come on, guys, I'll help you out." Mo said as she was the eldest.

The kids soon walked off together, away from their parents.

"Thank you," Mrs. Cratchit told them before she looked back at her husband. "How was the churchyard?"

"Oh. It'll be lovely, Emily," Bob replied. "It would have done you good to see how green the place is."

Mrs. Cratchit sniffled as she knew that would have been a lovely spot to see, even if her youngest son had died.

"I-I picked a spot for Tim where he can see..." Bob said, a bit emotionally as he tried not to cry. "I-It's a spot on the hill and you can see the ducks on the river. Tiny Tim..."

"Tiny Tim always loved watching the ducks on the river." Mrs. Crachit said to him softly.

Cherry frowned as she knew Scrooge had to be the most sad after learning why the Cratchit family was sad.

"Oh, Spirit, must there be a Christmas that brings this awful scene?" Scrooge asked the ghost out of guilt. "How can they endure it?"

The ghost was silent as usual.

"It's all right, children," Bob said as he sat at the table with his family as they all did their best to hold back tears. "Life is made up of meetings and partings. That is the way of it. I am sure we shall never forget Tiny Tim or this first parting that there was among us."

"I'm sorry!" Mo said as she sounded like she could break down crying right there.

Mrs. Cratchit soon began to soothe her. Atticus came to the door as he knocked on it. The answer took a bit longer than usual before Mo came to the door with tears in her eyes.

"Merry C-Christmas, Mo." Atticus said softly.

"Oh. Merry Christmas, Atticus." Mo frowned.

Atticus shuffled his foot in the snow a bit.

"Could I help you?" Mo asked.

"Well... Sure... I have to tell you that I won't be coming back to school next week," Atticus said softly. "Since Mr. Scrooge appointed me as his apprentice, they said that I would have to take over his company."

"Oh..." Mo replied softly.

"I'm also sorry to hear about Tiny Tim." Atticus said.

"Oh... Oh, Atticus..." Mo said somberly before she suddenly hugged him with tears in her eyes. "I wish we could've prevented it somehow... I'll miss you in school too."

"I'll miss you as well." Atticus said softly.

Scrooge looked very soft and sad for Atticus as it looked like he had to give up his life now for a new one. Bob looked sadly over at Tiny Tim's empty chair as well as the boy's crutch as it was a bit of a painful sight for the Cratchit family to behold.

"This is gonna hurt like a candy cane to the chestnuts." Cherry said as the scene changed to the graveyard.

And where Scrooge would find that out the hard way.

* * *

The old man and The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come soon arrived to the graveyard to see what there was more of to see which would not be a happy sight at all.

"Must we return to this place?" Scrooge asked gravely. "There's something else that I must know, is that not true?"

Cherry and the ghost merely stood in silence.

"Spirit, I know what I must ask, I fear to, but I must," Scrooge continued wearily. "Who was the wretched man whose death brought so much glee and happiness to others?"

The ghost merely pointed at the grave beside the old man as it seemed obvious. Cherry simply stood there as she already knew the answer.

"Answer me one more question," Scrooge asked the silent ghost. "Are these the shadows of things that will be or are they the shadows of things that may be only?"

The ghost just stood there, leaving him to figure it out on his own.

"These events can be changed," Scrooge said emotionally. "A life can be made right."

"Wait for it." Cherry mumbled.

Scrooge came slowly towards the grave before brushing off the snow and soon found his own name on the grave.

"And there it is." Cherry sighed.

"_'Ebenezer Scrooge'_," Scrooge read his name aloud which began to make him look tearful from a cruel fate. "Oh, please, Spirit, no. Hear me. I'm not the man I was," he then begged the ghost. "Why would you show me this if I was past all hope?"

Of course, the ghost didn't answer him, but the mysterious figure did listen to the rich man.

"I-I will honor Christmas and try to keep it all the year," Scrooge said as he now knew what he had to do. "I will live my life in the past, the present, and the future. I will not shut out the lessons the spirits have taught me. Tell me that I may sponge out the writing on this stone."

The ghost didn't answer Scrooge of course as the man fell on his knees to beg.

"Oh, Spirit," Scrooge begged. "Please speak to me."

"He's finally learned his lesson," Cherry said before she saw her hand fade away. "And it looks like it might be time for me to go. I'm proud of you, Mr. Scrooge, but I hope you keep true to your word."

* * *

And where the scene soon changed as Scrooge was shown to be on his bed. The old man stood up as he looked all around with wide wonder as he felt a very wondrous feeling. "I'm home!" he took a look all-around before he rushed to the window to see that it was snowing.

"Yes, the bedposts were his own," Gonzo's voice was heard. "The bed was his own, the room was his own."

Cherry was soon outside with Gonzo and Rizzo who came back to the story.

"Hi, guys!" Rizzo smiled. "We're back."

"We promised we would be." Gonzo added.

"Yep." Cherry nodded.

"But the thing that made Scrooge happiest of all was that his life lay before him and it could be changed." Gonzo then narrated.

"I will live my life in the past, the present, and the future," Scrooge said as he fell to his knees in a praying position. "Oh, Jacob and Robert Marley. Oh, Heaven and the Christmastime be praised for this day. I say it on my knees, Jacob and Robert. On my knees," he then explored his bedroom like he was seeing everything for the first time as he felt joyful. "Oh, they're not torn down. They're here," he said about his bed curtains before looking at his reflection. "And I'm here. More is the miracle. Oh! Oh. I don't know what to do. I-I'm as light as a feather. I'm as happy as an angel. I'm... I'm as merry as a schoolboy."

"Um, do you think we're safe up here?" Rizzo asked Gonzo and Cherry.

"Scrooge is saved," Gonzo replied. "What can happen now?"

"You just had to ask that." Cherry rolled her eyes.

Scrooge opened the window which made them fall from the window down into the snow. "You there, boy!" he then called out to the rabbit who passed by.

"What, me?" The rabbit asked. "Uh, that is, 'What, _me_, sir?'."

"What's today?" Scrooge asked him.

"Pardon?" The rabbit replied, a bit confused.

"What's today, my fine fellow?" Scrooge asked.

"Today? Well, today is Christmas Day." The rabbit told him.

"It's Christmas Day? " Scrooge asked him.

The rabbit nodded in response.

"I haven't missed it; the Spirits did it all in one night." Scrooge said.

The rabbit nodded again even if he didn't know what Scrooge was talking about.

"They can do whatever they like, of course they can, of course they can." Scrooge said.

"Uh, of course they can." The rabbit chuckled a bit from that.

"Do you know the poultry shop in the next street?" Scrooge asked the rabbit.

"Yes, sir, I do." The rabbit replied.

"An intelligent lad," Scrooge praised. "A remarkable lad."

The rabbit chuckled bashfully from that.

"Do you know whether the prize turkey has been sold in the window?" Scrooge then asked him.

"Oh, the one twice as big as me?" The rabbit replied. "It's still there."

"Oh, it's a pleasure talking with you, lad," Scrooge smiled before he requested something else. "Go and buy it."

"Be serious." The rabbit said as he didn't have enough money to buy the prized turkey.

"I am being serious!" Scrooge replied. "Buy it for me and I'll give you a shilling. No. I'll give you five shillings."

"What?" The rabbit asked in disbelief at first before the coins were thrown out at him as he ran off happily with the money. "Wow!"

* * *

"And so the boy was off like a shot," Gonzo narrated until he, Rizzo, and Cherry got hit by the rabbit as he dashed by them. "So eager-... Wah!"

"Um, sorry." The rabbit said to them bashfully.

"It's alright." Cherry told him.

"I'll bring it to Bob Cratchit's house," Scrooge told himself happily. "What a surprise it'll be. It's twice the size of Tiny Tim."


	8. Chapter 8

Gonzo, Rizzo, and Cherry were soon seen standing again.

"And a few moments later, dressed in his finest, Scrooge appeared on the streets of the city to wish 'Merry Christmas' to all the world." Gonzo narrated.

Scrooge came out to wish everybody a Merry Christmas, it was unexpected to the crowd, but not unwelcome, and he even wished a Merry Christmas to Cherry, Gonzo, and Rizzo.

"Gee, thanks!" Rizzo piped up from that.

"Everyone was out and about this fine morning and soon, he encountered two familiar faces." Cherry narrated as she got over her shock of Scrooge's perkiness.

Two familiar men from yesterday were soon seen surprised to see Scrooge.

"M-M-Mr. Scrooge!" Dr. Honeydew gasped as Beaker tried to hide like a turtle going into its shell.

"Pardon me, gentlemen, but about the charity donation you asked me for yesterday." Scrooge spoke up to the two.

"Oh, yes?" Dr. Honeydew replied.

"Put me down for..." Scrooge said before whispering the amount to him.

Dr. Honeydew and Beaker were both surprised by the amount they heard.

"That much?" Dr. Honeydew asked.

"Not a penny less," Scrooge replied. "A great many back-payments are included in it. I assure you."

"Oh, my goodness," Dr. Honeydew remarked from the shock. "I don't know what to say. I just wish there was something we could give you."

Beaker soon thought before he got an idea as he gave his scarf to Scrooge.

"A gift? A gift for me?" Scrooge asked.

Beaker nodded from that.

"Thank you," Scrooge said as he accepted the scarf before he soon wore it around his neck. "Thank you 50 times and a Merry Christmas."

"Here's your turkey, Mr. Scrooge." The rabbit smiled as he carried over the prized turkey.

"Follow me, lad." Scrooge replied.

The rabbit looked very happy of that before he followed after the rich man with the turkey.

"With a thankful heart, With an endless joy, With a growing family~," Scrooge sang happily through town. "Every girl and boy, Will be nephew and niece to me~"

"Nephew and niece to me~" The crowd sang back.

"Will bring love, hope and peace to me~" Scrooge sang as they came into the bakery as he helped them gather food.

"Love, hope and peace to me~" The crowd sang as they collected from Scrooge's help.

"Yes, and every night will end and every day will start a grateful prayer and a thankful heart~" Scrooge sang as he became generous for a change.

* * *

And where as he left the bakery, the people who worked there followed him outside.

"With an open smile and with open doors, I will bid you welcome, What is mine is yours, With a glass raised to toast your health~" Scrooge sang to the crowd happily.

"With a glass raised to toast your health~" The crowd sang back.

"And a promise to share the wealth~" Scrooge sang proudly.

"A promise to share the wealth~" The crowd sang back as they had many gifts to share with each other.

Drell came out of the schoolhouse with surprise as he seemed to live there as he felt surprised with what was going on with Scrooge. "Well, I'll be darned..." he said to himself. "Hmm... I should do something nice for that old coot... But what could I do other than give the children of the town their education?" he then pondered.

Skippy soon handed him a piece of paper with a written down suggestion.

Drell took the paper before looking to him. "You sure it'll work?" he then asked. "You sure it'll even be possible? It's been... Well... Years."

Skippy brought out the secret crystal ball.

"You already checked? Well... All right..." Drell replied. "I suppose he does earn that treat after a change of heart."

Skippy nodded in agreement.

* * *

"I will sail a friendly course, File a friendly chart~" Scrooge sang as he came to his workplace.

"On a sea of love and a thankful heart~" The crowd sang from that.

Inside his workplace, Scrooge placed down baskets for each of his workers with coals that they wanted yesterday. He left notes for them saying "Merry Christmas to my book-keepers". "Life is like a journey, Who knows when it ends?, Yes, and if you need to know, The measure of a man, You simply count his friends, Stop and look around you, The glory that you see~" he then hid a small sigh as he saw the picture of his lost love before he walked through town with the crowd following him cheerfully. "Is born again each day, Don't let it slip away, How precious life can be~" The first place he stopped at was where his nephew and niece-in-law were spending Christmas.

Clara and Fred stood together with surprise.

Scrooge happily hugged them before he gave them their Christmas gifts. "Send my love to little Cherry too." he then said as Cherry was Clara's younger sister as he happily walked off to spread Christmas cheer throughout the town.

Clara and Fred were both still surprised as Scrooge had hugged them. They felt a bit happy from it though, but mostly Clara.

* * *

Scrooge walked to another part of town to see some old faces to give them gifts as well which were Sam the schoolmaster and even Fozziwig.

"With a thankful heart that is wide awake, I do make this promise, Every breath I take, Will be used now to sing your praise~" Scrooge sang as he passed by and even gave some cheese to the Mousekewitz family who now were celebrating Hanukkah.

"Used now to sing your praise~" The crowd sang.

"And to beg you to share my days~" Scrooge sang.

"Beg you to share my days~" The crowd added.

"With a loving guarantee, That even if we part~" Scrooge sang as he knocked on one door.

"I will hold you close in a thankful heart~" The crowd sang along.

"I will hold you close, In a thankful heart~" Scrooge smiled warmly.

"In a thankful heart!~" The crowd added as Atticus opened the door.

"Mr. Scrooge!" Atticus gasped at who he saw at the door.

Patch, Patrick, and Jessica were just as surprised to know who was at the door.

"I decided to come by for a quick visit, I won't make this long," Scrooge told his apprentice. "Atticus, if you truly love someone, don't let them go. It could be your only chance for happiness. I know that you love Monique Cratchit."

"I really do." Atticus blushed slightly.

"Then go to her, Atticus, and don't let anything stop you." Scrooge advised.

"I will." Atticus smiled with a nod.

"Hello, Patrick, long time no see." Scrooge said.

"Um, hi, Ebbie-... I mean, Ebenezer..." Patrick replied. "Long time, no see."

"Yes... I'm sorry for the way I acted when Father refused to let me come home for Christmas with him and Fan." Scrooge said softly.

"I'm just happy to see you celebrating Christmas this year and I'm guessing it's going to be with Mr. Cratchit, right?" Patrick smiled.

"Yes, for a little while anyway," Scrooge smiled back. "I might stop by to see my nephew too before the day is through."

"Well, Merry Christmas either way," Patrick beamed. "Merry Christmas, my old friend."

"Merry Christmas." Scrooge smiled.

"Merry Christmas!" Emily, Jessica, and Atticus added.

Scrooge walked off as he let them to their Christmas festivities as he came to the Cratchit house and once he arrived at the house, he quietly told everyone else to go and wait. The rabbit still stood there with the prized turkey until Scrooge shooed him away with the others.

* * *

Scrooge knocked on the door as he looked like his old self as he called out sharply for his employee. "Bob Cratchit!"

Bob shook a bit as he came to the door with a bit of fear.

"So here you are." Scrooge said to him firmly.

"M-Mr. Scrooge." Bob gulped.

"You, sir, were not at work this morning as we had discussed." Scrooge glared sharply.

"Oh, b-but, Mr. Scrooge, sir, we did discuss it," Bob reminded him through fear. "It's Christmas Day. You gave me the day off."

"I? _I_, Ebenezer Scrooge? Would _I_ do a thing like that?" Scrooge asked firmly.

Mrs. Cratchit listened in a bit by the door.

"No. I mean yes," Bob stammered at his boss. "B-But you did."

"Bob Cratchit, I've had my fill of this." Scrooge said sharply.

"And I have had my fill of you, Mr. Scrooge!" Mrs. Cratchit glared as she came into the scene.

Mo gulped as she already knew her adoptive mother would let it all out and hoped Scrooge wouldn't be too angry.

"Emily! Emily! Mr. Scrooge!" Bob cried out.

"And therefore, Bob Cratchit-" Scrooge was about to say.

"And therefore, you can leave this house at once!" Mrs. Cratchit glared as Bob tried to hold back his wife.

"And therefore, I'm about to raise your salary." Scrooge finally said with a smile.

"Oh! And I am about to raise you right off the pavement and out-... Pardon?" Mrs. Cratchit glared until she realized what her husband's boss just said.

"Pardon?" Bab asked his boss.

"Pardon?" Mo asked Scrooge.

"Yes, Bob, raise your salary and pay your mortgage on this house." Scrooge smiled warmly.

"I can't believe my ears." Mo said as she cleaned the inside of her ear from that.

"Please, sir," Mrs. Cratchit soon allowed from delight. "Come inside."

"Uh, yes," Bob added from that. "Oh, yes, yes."

"Bob Cratchit, would you and your family care to join us for a little turkey dinner on this fine Christmas Day?" Scrooge then offered his employee with a warm, sincere smile. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas!" Everyone else smiled as that was the signal for them to come inside.

The Cratchit family looked thankful and surprised as the others came inside to bestow gifts to the poor family to give them a proper Christmas holiday.

* * *

"And Scrooge was better than his word," Gonzo narrated from outside with Rizzo and Cherry. "He did it all and infinitely more!"

"And, uh, Tiny Tim?" Rizzo asked softly.

"And Tiny Tim, who did _not_ die-" Gonzo began.

"Aw. Isn't that swell!" Rizzo beamed from that.

"To Tiny Tim, Scrooge became a second father," Cherry narrated from there. "He became as good a friend as good a master and as good a man as the good old city ever had!"

"And it was always said of him that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man possessed the knowledge," Gonzo added. "May that truly be said of us and all of us and so as Tiny Tim observed."

Scrooge smiled as he picked up Tiny Tim a bit to sit up with him.

"God bless us." Tiny Tim piped up.

"God bless us, everyone." Scrooge added warmly.

"Excuse me? But is there an Ebenezer Scrooge here?" A voice asked from outside.

"Why, yes, you're looking at him," Scrooge replied. "Who may I ask is...?" he then gasped a bit with wide eyes.

This made everybody else do the same as they looked to see who was at the door as she seemed to glow like an angel as she stepped into the home.

"Belle..." Scrooge whispered with shock.

"Hello, Ebenezer." Belle smiled.

"Belle... I just... Where did... You were..." Scrooge stammered. "...You're alive?"

"Oh, yes, I have been for a while," Belle smiled softly. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too," Scrooge replied. "...How did you get here?"

"Honestly, it just felt like the magic of Christmas." Belle smiled.

"It can work in mysterious ways." Scrooge smiled back.

"I believe so too." Belle smiled.

"Oh, look at that," Scrooge said as he looked up at the ceiling. "Someone brought mistletoe."

"So they have..." Belle smiled as she took his hands. "Ebenezer, my eyes are closed, my lips are puckered, and I'm standing under the mistletoe." she then got ready to kiss him as she came closer.

"You're also standing on my foot." Scrooge said bashfully.

Belle giggled as she got her foot off Scrooge's foot. Scrooge smiled bashfully from that before they shared a kiss with each other which really made this the best Christmas ever.

* * *

"I just wonder where she came from..." Mo said to herself, though she felt happy for Scrooge. She soon looked over and saw Atticus close by.

Atticus came over, a bit bashfully, though he took a deep breath.

"Atticus Fudo?" Mo asked.

"You know anyone else named Atticus?" Atticus smiled bashfully.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were celebrating Christmas with your family." Mo smiled back.

"Oh, I am, I just had to do something real quick." Atticus replied.

"Oh, what is it?" Mo asked curiously.

"It's a special treat..." Atticus blushed before he found himself singing to her. "I wanted to get you, Something oh, so rare, A gift to show I care, But nothing can compare, To you, that's easy to see, But I got stressed and overthought, Until the day was shot, And it was all for naught, But now it's clear to me, I'm not gifted at gifting, It's really pretty sad, I tried to show I care, But it turned out bad, I'm not gifted at gifting, So all that's left to say, Is that I really hope my gifting, Didn't ruin your holiday~"

"Oh... Atticus..." Mo sounded touched.

"Mo, I like you," Atticus blushed. "I really, really like you."

"I really, really like you too, Atticus." Mo smiled.

The two smiled joyfully at each other before they shared their own kiss which made Atticus feel like he could dance on air. Scrooge looked very happy for Atticus as he found his courage to tell Mo how he felt like how he felt about Belle when they were much younger.

"The love we found, The love we found, We carry with us~," Everybody soon sang together happily. "So we're never quite alone, The love we found, The love we found, The sweetest dream, That we have ever known~"

The rest of the town began to sing the rest of the song.

"Hey!" Gonzo waved with Rizzo. "See ya later!"

"Goodbye!" Rizzo added to the readers of the story.

"Fave and comment to PerkyGoth14!" Cherry added.

"PerkyGoth14?" Gonzo and Rizzo asked each other out of confusion. "Who's PerkyGoth14?"

"The love we found, The love we found, We carry with us, So we're never quite alone~" The singing continued as the story came to a close.

The End

"Nice story, Mr. Dickens." Rizzo said.

"Oh, thanks," Gozno replied. "If you like this, you should read the book."

"But seriously, who is PerkyGoth14?" Rizzo asked Cherry.

Happy Holidays to everybody!


End file.
